Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
by Emperor Ferus
Summary: Sequel to “Star Wars: The Last Jedi”, diverges from canon and follows the story of my TLJ rewrite.
1. Chapter I

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...

_Star Wars_

_Episode IX_

_The Rise of Skywalker_

_The tide of the war is turning. With the return of Luke Skywalker, the Resistance has gained significant traction against the ruthless First Order._

_With his Knights of Ren in pursuit of the fugitives Rey and Kylo Ren, Supreme Leader Snoke must take a more active role in the conflict, carrying out lethal attacks on Republic worlds._

_On the First Order world of Onderon, Poe__ Dameron leads an offensive strike against the forces of evil. __But Snoke has a trap in store, luring the Resistance into an explosive endgame..._

On the far side of Onderon's second moon, the massive Dreadnought _Supremacy _revolved in orbit.

The Star Destroyers flanking the _Supremacy _were massive, but this vessel made them all appear like mynocks swarming around a zillo beast.

The fleet waited craftily as the _Supremacy _monitored the activity around the jungle world of Onderon, TIE Fighters exchanging fire with the Republic ships. The First Order's capital ship was protected by a cloaking device, rendering it invisible to any outsider viewer.

"Supreme Leader, when do we attack?" General Hux asked, keeping an air of deference to the dark side master.

The _Supremacy _was

Hux's design, which he woul use to quickly crush the Republic. Then, Snoke himself would fall to Hux's military genius. It was only a matter of time.

"Once the Resistance troops are on the ground, the ships will have little defense," Snoke replied, a twisted smile appearing on his face, "I want to destroy Skywalker myself."

Hux nodded broodingly, gazing out into the black, empty vacuum of space as Snoke watched the Resistance ground assault on Onderon, broadcast to him by hologram.

Poe Dameron sliced a vine with his dagger as he beckoned his men forward.

"This way!" he shouted as he raised his blaster, keeping an eye out for any potential threat.

The Resistance soldiers marched through the jungles as the aireal battle commenced above.

Poe looked back at the men following him as they approached a large clearing in the jungle.

This clearing was the area containing the a valuabe shipyard on Onderon. Here, all kinds of vehicles were constructed, from TIE Fighters, to Star Destroyers.

"Got the grenades ready?" Poe asked Major Connix.

She nodded and replied, "Ready to fire."

Connix withdrew a sack of thermal detonators from her survival pack and passed one along to as many men as she could.

There appeared to be relatively little stormtrooper activity around the shipyard, Poe noted, too little.

Still, there was little he could do about it now.

"Ready..." he said.

The Resistance troopers balled the detonators in their fists.

"Aim..."

They wound up their arms in preparation to toss the detonators a long distance.

"Fire!"

Every armed Resistance soldier, including Poe, hurled their detonators into the air, past the vines and shrubbery concealing them from the enemy.

The stormtrooper patrols turned as the detonators soared in a group, striking the ground and the outer fence.

"Now go!" Poe said, racing back into the jungle.

His unit all followed suit, determined to put as much distance as possible between themselves and the explosions.

On the _Supremacy'_s holotable, the scene switched to the land battle, where Snoke and Hux watched the miniature images of Poe's strike team racing from the exploding shipyard.

The First Order's own forces could be seen prowling through the jungle via the holographic map, waiting to spring the trap.

"Where is Skywalker?" Snoke growled, shaking an impatient fist.

As the fire spread through the construction facility, the stormtroopers raced towards the bushes, firing at the unseen guerrilla fighters.

Yet mysteriously, the white armored stormtroopers did not follow the fleeing Resistance army any further than the outer perimeter.

Poe looked back suspiciously as he saw no bodies of white in pursuit.

"Wait!" he said, "they haven't followed us."

"That's a good thing," Connix replied, "Hopefully we took a lot of them down."

"It's not over yet," Poe said, waving his blaster around the surrounding trees and vines, "This isn't even half the battle."

"Are you sure about this plan, Colonel?" Connix asked Poe.

Poe nodded. "We went over it a long time ago," he replied, "Just try not to die in the meantime." He attempted a humorous smirk, but it appeared half-hearted due to the grim feeling inside him.

Just then, Poe's comlink on his utility belt buzzed.

Adjusting his blaster into a one hand grip, Poe pulled the device and switched it on. "This is Operation Infiltrator."

Inside the strategy room of the _New Alderaan, _General Antilles spoke via comlink.

"Poe, are you sure about this plan of yours? You're taking an awful risk with the men and women under your command."

"With respect, General Antilles, this is a small price to pay. We're all prepared to die if necessary to complete the mission."

"Leia told me what happened during the Hyperspace Battle," Wedge Antilles replied skeptically, "I would think that that experience would tell you not to undergo such a dangerous gamble."

"This isn't a gamble, General, this is what Leia sent me out to do. The Resistance knows what we're doing, thanks. Over and out."

Poe sighed impatiently as he reattached his comlink to his belt.

The command station of the _New Alderaan _trembled as the Republic cruiser was struck by several TIE Fighters.

"Keep up your defense," Wedge spoke into the intercom as the Y Wing pilots swarmed to retaliate against the attackers.

Aboard the _Raddus, _Admiral Ackbar said, "We may be falling into yet another trap."

"Hopefully, we'll be able to draw Snoke's ship out of hiding soon enough," Commander D'Acy replied.

A series of beeps came out of the survival pack strapped to Poe's back.

"Don't worry, BB8," Poe said to the tiny round droid hidden inside his backpack

Several silent cocks of blasters sounded from within the trees.

"Let's hope this operation works," Poe muttered anxiously.

The First Order scouttroopers dressed in camouflage green nodded to one another, opening fire.

"Take cover!" Poe dove into the blanket covering of a fern plant as several jets of laserfire flew over his body.

He cringed as one of his men was hit in the chest, falling into the mud as he gripped his chest. Shooting at the green-armored First Order soldier, Poe rose from his hiding place as he saw Lieutenant Connix wounded as well, struck in the shoulder.

The Resistance unit soldiers who had not been shot down were forced to raise their hands in surrender as several dozen camouflage scouttroopers came crawling out of the shrubbery, blasters aimed.

"For the Resistance" Poe muttered, slowly raising his hands. Surrender was part of his plan, but even now, with the dead men and women around him, he had to wonder whether it was worth the risk.

Through the jungle vines, several additional First Order troopers could be seen marching towards Poe's captured unit, completely blocking off all routes of escape.

Just then, the sound of two lightsabers igniting hummed within the jungle, and two plasma blades, green and blue, became visible in the dense family of vegetation.

"It's the Jedi!" the camoflauge sergeant exclaimed.

The cloaked, hooded Jedi Master Luke Skywalker jumped into the fray, followed by his apprentice Finn, dressed in the flight jacket that had once belonged to Poe.

Poe bared his teeth in frustration, realizing that his best friend may be a liabilty more than an asset in this particular battle.

"Finn, what are you doing here?" Poe asked.

"Saving you!" Finn replied with a grin, "You're lucky I got here when I did."

His lightsaber caught a blast flying at him from a scouttrooper's blaster, sending the bolt back at the shooter.

"No, that's not the plan! The plan is, I get captured, I figure out a way to take out their lead ship," Poe replied, "With you and Skywalker here, there's no way I'm going to get captured."

"Stand down!" Luke shouted at the enemy, but they of course ignored him. So, he sent the scouttrooper's blaster shots back at them, striking them down one at a time.

As a stormtrooper struck at Luke from behind with a Z6 zion control baton, Luke sprang into the air and somersaulted forward, aiming a Force-push at the assaulting trooper with his hand.

The baton-wielding stormtrooper flew into one of his comrades who was engaging Poe in an exchange of fire.

"This plan is going to get you killed!" Finn replied, "Did you learn anything from what General Organa told you? Do you remember what you said to me on Mustafar?"

"General Organa trusted me to lead this Resistance," Poe replied as he jerked his head out of the way of the line of fire targeting him, "The only person who's being put at this time is me. Everybody else knew what they were doing when they volunteered for this mission!"

"I hope you're right," Finn mumbled as he cut the weapon arm off of a scouttrooper.

A smile crept over Snoke's scarred face as he watched the two lightsaber-wielders join the fray.

"Prepare my ship," he said to the nearby Captain Peavey."

As Luke slammed another trooper against a tree, he was confronted by five specialized commandos who carried not only control batons but also electrical shields, all pointed at him.

Luke twisted his lightsaber into a horizontal position, and with a rapid movement, he sliced in half each of the batons.

As the broken pieces fell unceremoniously into the vines below, Luke raised his metallic hand and clenched the fingers together, seizing the men with the Force.

The five commandos were forced into colliding with one another with such magnitude that it send all of them flying across the battlefield.

Poe's remaining strike team members were diving for cover under the larger fern leaves as the Jedi and his Padawan took over the Republic front of the battle, with two soldiers carrying the wounded Connix.

"Finn, you have to get out ofhere!" Poe yelled. This wasn't working at all, he thought.

"I can't let you do this, Poe, not after Rey," Finn replied, "You'd be dead right now if we weren't here!"

"The operation!" Poe reminded him, "Listen, I know you're still upset about Rey, but I have a responsibility! Do _you _remember what happened on Mustafar?"

Finn did not reply, but lashed out with more aggression at the next incomings trooper, slicing through his torso with his blue-bladed lightsaber, which he had constructed on the crystal world of Ilum.

Suddenly, Luke paused and placed a hand to his temple, a familiar feeling of dread coming about him.

"I feel a tremor," he said, "It...it's him."

Finn looked to his instructor with alarm. "Are you sure, Master Skywalker?"

A towering Imperial shuttle was descending from the clouds towards the floor of Onderon's thick jungle. Supreme Leader Snoke was entering the fray.

"Poe, get out of here!" Finn yelled as he cut down another stormtrooper, "Snoke's coming!"

With that, the surviving members of Operation Infiltrator emerged from their hiding places and scrambled into the depths of the vegetation, continuing to shoot at whichever stormtroopers were persistent enough to attempt a pursuit.

Poe on the other hand, remained where he was as. BB8 peeked his head out of the backpack.

"Stay low," Poe said under his breath. BB8's head disappeared once again as Snoke's shuttle landed somewhere obscured by the trees and vines.

Luke held his saber at the ready. More camoflagued First Order stormtroopers were charging from the pathway that led back to the damaged factory.

At last, Poe turned on his heels and sprinted. He had to get far away from the two Jedi, if he wanted to be captured alive. Inwardly, he cursed himself for cowardice before remembering that he was doing this to uncover the most important secret to winning the war.

"No, Poe!" Finn shouted, afraid for his friend who as sure to be captured, if not immediately shot to death by the overwhelming number of scouts.

He moved to race after the squadron, but stopped as his throat suddenly tightened and was squeezed by an unseen grip.

Finn dropped his lightsaber, reaching frightenedly towards his neck. He levitated into the air off the jungle floor, choking.

"No!" Luke exclaimed, reaching a hand towards the vines that concealed Finn's assailant.

A low chuckle came from the shadows of the fauna of the jungle, and the Supreme Leader revealed himself.

"Skywalker," he snarled, "As expected. Let us continue what we started three years ago."

Luke didn't waste any time with words. He aimed a Force push at Snoke, forcing his attention to divert from Finn.

As Snoke was pushed aside by Luke, Finn dropped to the vines below, grabbing at his neck and gasping heavily for breath.

Luke kept his saber pointed at Snoke, who activated his red blade and held it up to his face.

"Why you thought you could make an apprentice out of this cannon fodder, I have no idea," Snoke laughed, indicating Finn.

Luke advanced, swinging hard and backing Snoke up towards a cluster of vines.

Snoke slashed the vines with his lightsaber as he backed into them and jumped up the tree onto a branch.

As Luke glanced up to where his arch-enemy was perched, Snoke reached towards a nearby tree and made a fist.

With an incredible display of Force strength, Snoke lifted the entire tree off the ground, snapping the roots binding it to bits and pieces with his mind.

Luke hit the ground and rolled out of the way as the tree came crashing with a thud.

Finn had to duck as he was nearly whacked by one of the falling tree's branches.

Luke moved to stand up, his arms and legs partially tangled in the vines and leaves growing on the ground. He was admittedly having greater trouble than their last encounter three years previously, due to the difficulty of the terrain.

Luke gathered his physical strength and rose to his feet, remembering Darth Vader's lightsaber throw.

With a flick of the wrist, Luke tossed his blade towards the branch where Snoke rested.

The vantage point was sliced off the trunk of the tree, and Luke was quick to summon his lightsaber back to him.

"Holy..." Finn muttered as he watched Luke's unbelievable skill.

Poe kept ducking under branches and pivoting through vines of thicker vegetation, careful not to be exposed to blasterfire. On the other hand, he needed to make sure the pursuing men knew he was viable to be taken as a prisoner.

As he stopped at a clearing far enough so that he couldn't hear the clashing lightsabers, it dawned on Poe that the scouttroopers may simply decide to shoot him dead.

He was a pretty well known enemy of the First Order, wasn't he? Sure, there was the Hyperspace bartle, but he'd helped lead the Republic to victory on Mustafar. After that had been Ord Mantell, Iego, and Christophsis. So it was a safe bet that these men would see him as a valuable hostage to the Republic.

"Show time," Poe said to himself. BB8 squirmed inside his backpack as the stormtroopers flooded the clearing.

Immediately, Poe threw his hands into the air as several blaster rifles cocked.

"Don't move, Resistance scum," the stromtrooper commander said.

"You got me," Poe said with calculated resignation a two armored men approached.

"Take his backpack," the commander said.

As one of the men grabbed Poe's pack and pried it off of him, BB8 stealthily bounced out of the opening and into the vines before the stormtroopers could spot him.

There, he remained hidden as Poe's wrists were forced into the cuffs and he was led away towards the transport carrier that had brought them from the command ship.

Finally, after the last of the enemy soldiers had their backs to him, BB8 emerged from the concealing vines and rolled along, determined to keep up


	2. Chapter II

As Luke and Supreme Leader Snoke faced one another, lightsabers at the ready, Snoke extended his gnarled hand towards Finn, once again attempting to Force-choke him.

Luke used the Force to seize a strand of vine hanging from a nearby tree, pulling it down towards Snoke.

Frustrated, Finn slashed his lightsaber helplessly as Snoke squeezed his throat with the Force. He hated the Supreme Leader with all his being, if he could just break free and slice off his ugly head.

Moving his free hand to manipulate the vines, Luke tied them around Snoke's arms via telekinesis, causing him to lose his hold on Finn, who again dropped onto the ground with a thud.

Suddenly, a caravan of scouttroopers marched through the clearing, headed towards a transport carrier in the distance.

Finn looked towards the parade, wondering if he could make himself useful by taking some of them out.

Then, he saw Poe in bindercuffs, being led at gunpoint by the First Order troopers towards the shuttle.

"POE!" he yelled, unable to hold back.

_Damn it,_ Poe thought as he saw Finn charging.

"Finn, don't!" he shouted, but he was struck hard over the head by a blaster.

"Shut up and keep walking, scum!"

The scouttroopers not guarding Poe opened fire, but Finn raised his lightsaber to deflect the blaster bolts.

As Luke charged at Snoke, the Supreme Leader leapt high over his head and sprang towards Finn, swishing his red blade to make a fatal strike.

Finn pivoted to try and defend himself as Luke rushed to the defense of his apprentice.

Luke seized a hanging vine and jumped into the air, swinging on it towards Snoke.

Before Snoke could overpower the relatively inexperienced Finn, Luke jumped from the vine he was swinging on and aimed a kick at the Supreme Leader's head.

Facing both Luke and Finn, Snoke backed away, lightsaber activated.

"FN-2187, the defective stormtrooper," he snarled, "No, I haven't forgotten. I never forget a betrayal."

Finn stared down the once-mythical Supreme Leader, now nothing to him but vermin that needed to be eliminated.

No doubt Snoke felt the same way about Finn.

"A betrayal of the First Order never goes unpunished," he sneered, extending a hand.

As Snoke fended off Luke's offensive with his lightsaber, he extended a hand towards Finn, sending a barrage of crackling dark side energy at him.

Snoke's lightsaber attack against Luke became more aggressive as he would not allow Luke to keep protecting the traitor.

Finn held up his weapon in front of him to block the strands of lightning from reaching him, but he lost his footing soon enough.

As Finn struggled to his feet in agony, Luke pressed his attack on Snoke, sweat coming down his face as he struggled to keep the evil man at bay.

"Yes, Skywalker, even you are not invulnerable to emotion," Snoke said, a sadistic smile returning to his face, "Your thoughts lie with the girl Rey. Even now, as you face me, you worry about her. How touching." Snoke's mock sympathy turned into cruel laughter.

Luke momentarily diminished his attack as Snoke's deliberate attempt to throw him off proved effective.

He'd failed Rey terribly, and worse, because of it, he had no idea where she was and whether she was safe or not. He couldn't sense her, he hadn't since she'd written him off on Mustafar...

"You haven't gotten a hold of her yet, Snoke," Luke replied, "I know that much." He took a breath, calming himself with the Jedi teachings that he'd come to know as well as his own soul. His emotions did not rule him, no matter what.

"The scavenger will never be safe as long as my Knights of Ren are on her tail," Snoke teased, "She'll never know freedom again."

This time, it was not Luke, but Finn who attacked, enraged at the mention of Rey.

"Shut up!" Finn screamed as he lunged at Snoke with more fury than the Supreme Leader had expected.

"Finn, don't!" Luke yelled, but Finn was too incensed to listen.

Finn rapidly slashed his blade at Snoke's lightsaber as he repeatedly tried to get a clear strike.

"You...don't...know...anything...about...Rey!" Finn grunted as Snoke began to overtake him.

Snoke parried low and stabbed right through Finn's leg.

Finn screamed and staggered sideways as Luke once again assumed the offensive against Snoke.

Blood was gaping from Finn's leg as he caught his balance against a tree.

Luke knew that they were not going to get anywhere now. For all of the training he had undergone in the last three years, Finn was nothing but a liability, with both his inexperience against the dark side and his inability to keep in check his emotions regarding Rey.

It was all Luke could do to control his own.

Quickly and without another thought, Luke switched off his lightsaber and clipped it to the belt wrapped around his Jedi robes.

Snoke stared in bewilderment, then decided to go in for the kill.

Luke made a rapid and decisive motion with the Force, grabbing the wounded Finn with his telekinesis while at the same time Force-jumping high into the trees, landing about two hundred feet above Snoke.

As he hopped from tree to tree as Snoke tried to keep up, Luke pulled the still-agonizing Finn towards him. The young man was limp as he floated through the jungle towards Luke's perch.

"Easy, kid," Luke said as he landed Finn on an upper tree branch, "We're getting out of here."

Luke pulled his comlink from his belt and switched it on, his legs wrapped around the tree branch.

"Chewie?" he said, panting in exhaustion as Finn moaned in pain, "Time to get out of here."

Finn stumbled and nearly slipped off the branch, but Luke caught his hand, holding on tightly as if his own life depended on it.

"Rey..." Finn muttered, about to pass out from the pain.

"Easy," Luke repeated.

The sound of a familiar engine came over the treetops as the _Millennium Falcon _hovered just above Luke's head.

As he pulled Finn back up onto the sturdy branch, Luke gazed up at the frieghter that had once been Han Solo's.

Even now, he wished that it was his best friend that would open the hatch, but it would never happen again.

_That's two you owe me, junior_

Chewbacca roared as he slid open the _Falcon'_s hatch.

The entire tree began to shake as Supreme Leader Snoke leapt up through the vines, glaring at the two Jedi from down below.

"Master...Snoke!" Finn uttered as he saw the Supreme Leader hanging onto a branch one hundred feet below them, a look of fury in his eyes.

Using the tree trunk for support, Luke stood all the way up, the soles of his feet now balancing dangerously on the branch.

"Take Finn first!" Luke said to Chewie, who called for someone else in the ship.

The faithful Artoo Deetoo appeared at the hatch, immediately extending a cable downward.

Finn grabbed onto the cable as Artoo retracted it, pulling him up.

Snoke's snarl was audible as he was now twenty feet below.

With a grunt of exertion, Chewbacca grabbed Finn as he let go of Artoo's cable and pulled him inside the

Snoke had nearly reached them by now...

"Take off!" Luke yelled.

Chewbacca raced through the _Falcon'_s walkway and climbed into the cockpit, joining See-Threepio.

"Oh, Chewbacca, where have you been?" Threepio fretted.

Luke stood facing Snoke, both of them balancing on their feet. The branch cracked with both of their weight on it.

"Nowhere to run," Snoke spat, raising his hands to hurl another round of Force lightning at Luke.

The _Falcon _started moving away as Chewbacca fired up the engine, taking off into the sky.

"What about Master Luke?" Threepio questioned.

Chewbacca's reply indicated that he knew Luke would be just fine.

Luke turned away as Snoke unleashed the crackling energy, jumping and barely grabbing onto the _Falcon's_ hull as it launched away from the fuming Snoke.

Breathing heavily, Luke climbed up the back of the _Falcon, _his robotic fingers digging into the aluminum.

At last, Luke reached the roof of the _Millennium Falcon_. He dragged his body up onto it as Chewie continued to fly low over the vegetation of Onderon.

Positioned just under the _Falcon'_s top hatch, Artoo released a thick screwdriver from the top of his domed head.

The screwdriver extended up towards the hatch, and with a hard push, Artoo opened it up.

Still panting and sweating, Luke crawled on the roof of the still-mobile _Millennium Falcon_ and slid into the hatch, landing on his bottom next to Artoo.

"Glad I can always count on you," he sighed, patting the blue and white astromech on the side of his domed head.

Artoo gave an affection response in whistles and beeps.

By this time, Chewbacca had set the _Falcon _into autopilot as it sped off into the clouds.

Slumped on the floor, Luke saw Chewie carrying the wounded Finn into the _Millennium Falcon's _sickbay.

"Easy, Chewie," Finn muttered as the Wookiee set him down on the cot, taking a first-aid kit to apply to Finn's lightsaber wound.

Luke got to his feet, using Artoo for support.

He looked into the sickbay as Chewbacca treated Finn, then climbed up the small ladder into the cockpit of the _Falcon. _The ship had crossed into the vacuum of space that made up Onderon's orbit.

"Master Luke, I am most pleased to see you in one piece," Threepio commented as Luke

The Republic and Resistance fighters were still doing battle as the _New Alderaan _and the _Raddus _remained on the sidelines.

Seated in the pilot's chair, Luke closed his eye and for what seemed like the millionth time, reached out in the Force to try and feel Rey's presence.

Luke had not immediately felt the proper feelings of love for her upon her arrival on Ahch To, but since she had turned against him, the magnitude of what Luke had lost was really hitting him.

"Please," he whispered, "answer me."

Finn rested on the cot in the _Falcon's _sickbay as Chewie left him to join Luke in the cockpit.

As his wound slowly healed under the bandages applied to it, Finn's thoughts again turned to Rey. He had been connected to her via a Force bond when she had gone to find Luke Skywalker in the first place.

Yet now, three years after their separation on Mustafar, he could not sense her. "Rey..." he mumbled, ignoring the continuing gnaw on his leg.

Grasping her ignited lightsaber, Rey pivoted her feet and turned to face the TIE Silencer skidding across the sand towards her. She waited as it sped nearer and nearer, preparing for just the right moment.

The wing of the specialized Fighter was coming straight for her chest...

When she could smell the exhaust coming from the engine, Rey jumped, somersaulting over the wing and landing behind the TIE Silencer.

The vehicle halted and the engine was shut off to rest.

Kylo Ren, formerly the young Jedi Ben Solo, emerged from the fighter's cockpit. Like Rey, the heat of Pasaana was causing him to sweat.

"That one was pretty good," Kylo commented as Rey retracted the lightsaber's blue blade.

Panting, Rey squatted with her hands on her knees and asked, "Do you think we're almost ready?"

Kylo gazed up at the scorching blue sky, pondering.

"I don't know," he replied curtly.

"It's been three years!" Rey exclaimed, "You held your own for a while by yourself when you fought Snoke in Vader's old castle!"

Kylo flinched automatically at the mention of his grandfather's name.

He had all but discarded Vader's legacy to prove to Snoke that he could come into his own as an agent of darkness.

But now, Kylo no longer served Snoke or the dark side. He and Rey had chosen the path of the Gray Jedi, which they agreed was the key to defeating the First Order.

"As we grow stronger in the Force, so does he," Kylo said grimly, "And you forget that Snoke is not our only dark side opponent."

Rey paused as she remembered the Knights of Ren. They had been avoiding Snoke's elite group of dark side warriors ever since Kylo had betrayed his former master.

Their last encounter with the dark Knights had been on the Old Republic capital of Coruscant, where they had delved into the Jedi archives.

After flashing back to the ardous battle in the Coruscant Jedi Temple, Rey replied, "Then we'd better get on with the training."

She reignited her lightsaber and stood in a defensive position.

Kylo activated his own blade, which was crimson red and shaped like a cross.

With moderate aggression, the two of them swung their lightsabers back and forth against one another's, dancing around the gorge where they had designated as a training area.

"Remember to channel your anger," Kylo reminded Rey, "don't simply rely on the light."

"I know," Rey said, "As long as you remember that the darkness itself won't do you any good."

Heeding Kylo's advice as they sparred, Rey reflected inward, considering what would channel her anger.

To a degree, Kylo himself still drew her ire, although they had been alone together almost all the time for the last three years.

Her memory had flashed back to Starkiller Base, watching as Kylo stabbed Han Solo, his own father and one of the few people Rey had considered family.

Thinking about this, Rey struck harder at Kylo's weapon, both blades humming luminously.

Kylo sensed the thoughts within Rey's brain, resulting in his own combat form diminishing in raw power. The guilt was as fresh as ever, no matter what else he had used to try and replace it.

It didn't matter that he'd turned against Snoke, or saved his mother and her allies from his wrath. He could never take back his dark deeds.

"You're using your rage towards me to your advantage," he observed, "Good."

"You knew what I was thinking about," Rey answered, her rising anger towards Kylo beginning to mellow, "Your guilt over killing your father is stopping you from rejecting the light."

_We need each other, _Rey reminded herself. Some days, she could share a cordial relationship with Kylo, but there were still moments where she wanted to make him pay for everything he had done.

"It wasn't just my father," Kylo replied, "I let down my mother, and I let Snoke twist my mind into committing terrible deeds."

"Focus on the present," Rey instructed. At the very least, she could occasionally take pleasure in reprimanding him like she was a Master and he was a struggling apprentice. "We have a mission to complete."

"And you, you feel guilty as well," Kylo observed, "you still think about leaving your friends for me."

Kylo's comment took Rey by surprise. She tried to block out those feelings most of the time, but it was entirely true. She had abandoned the others to go alone with none other than Kylo Ren, shortly after Finn had declared that he loved her.

Briefly, her anger towards her foe-turned-ally returned, and she struck at his lightsaber with increased fury.

Kylo backed away, forced to move rapidly in order to defend himself.

He panted as Rey glowered at him through their crossed lightsabers. Kylo decided to ease her rage before things got too violent.

"Remember why we're doing this," he told her between deep breaths, "We need each other's power in order to win. Once we take Snoke down, you can be with your friend Finn without worrying about the First Order."

Rey slowed down, but still retained a degree of aggression.

"He's not a stormtrooper!" she said, "not anymore."

Kylo waved this rebuke aside. "Either way, we're creating a better galaxy together."

"I hope you're right," Rey replied as she switched off her lightsaber, gasping for breath.

Poe was not surprised when, as soon as his stormtroopers led him off the shuttle onto the hangar of the _Supremacy, _General Hux was standing in wait.

Unseen by the First Order personnel, BB8 had latched himself on to the bottom of the shuttle that had delivered Poe onto Supreme Leader Snoke's personal Dreadnought Star Destroyer

"Commander Dameron, pilot of legend, war hero," Hux mocked as Poe was halted before him, restrained by the arms, "the successor of Leia Organa herself. How embarrassing this must be for you."

"It's actually Colonel now, Hux," Poe replied, "So, are you going to shoot me, or what?"

Hux pulled a prod from his belt and used it to jab Poe on the neck.

An electrical surge ran through Poe as he felt his arms and legs go numb. The stormtroopers caught him as he crumpled to the cold, metal deck.

"There will be none of that," Hux sneered, "Take him to the detention center, I will interrogate him later."

As Poe disappeared into the corridor, BB8 crept out stealthily from under the docked transport carrker , unnoticed by the hustling stromtroopers and their commanding officers.

Armitage Hux awaited as Snoke stormed furiously onto the deck, having arrived in his own shuttle

"Supreme Leader?" Hux asked furtively, detecting the intense wrath within his master.

"Bring this Dreadnought into the battle fray," Snoke ordered, "We're going to tear the Republic fleet apart ship by ship."


	3. Chapter III

"Home base to _Millennium Falcon," _General Wedge Antilles said through the radio of the _New Alderaan, _"Repeat: Home base to _Millennium Falcon."_

"This is Master Skywalker reporting in," Luke replied.

Beside the _Millennium Falcon, _the shuttle that had delivered the members of Poe's strike team to the surface of Alderaan was accompanying Han's old ship back towards the New Republic fleet.

"Operation Infiltrator reporting in," chimed in the voice of Major Connix, "I'm afraid we lost the Colonel."

"Colonel Dameron's gone?" Antilles asked.

"Poe was taken prisoner by Snoke's army aboard his Dreadnought," Luke reported, "but I sense that he's still alive. No doubt Snoke wants to use him yo barter with us."

Having suffiently recovered, Finn climbed up into the _Falcon's _cockpit behind Luke, Chewbacca and the droids.

"Then we got to get him out of there," the Jedi apprentice chimed in, "Hux won't be showing him any mercy after Mustafar."

Luke turned back to face his student.

"I need you to man the back cannons," he said sharply, "The TIE Fighters are coming."

"We got you covered, Rogue Leader," the Y-Wing pilot Green Leader said as a swarm of Republic and Resistance ships came into the scene, firing on the TIEs that had begun to swarm around the _Millennium Falcon._

Finn scrambled into the gunner's chair and turned the cannon in all directions, exchanging rapid fire with the TIE Fighters.

"Major Connix," said Admiral Ackbar as he patchdd in from the smaller _Raddus, _"Did you manage to get the rest of your squad to safety?"

"All except the Colonel, Admiral," Connix replied grimly as she steered the transport out of the line of fire, turning the craft to the side.

Luke and Chewbacca steered the _Falcon _towards the carrier, rushing to defend it from the incominh assault.

Suddenly, a massive triagular shadow was cast over the moon of Onderon.

"Look!" Green Leader exclaimed as the moon was covered in darkness.

"Concentrate all firepower on the incoming vessel," Ackbar ordered the crew of the _Raddus, _gravely recognizing the clear and present danger.

Snoke stood beside General Hux inside the northern observation tower of the _Supremacy, _as the massive front cannon was twisted by hundreds of crew men and machines towards the _New Alderaan._

_"_Fire at will," he said, flashing a twisted smile as he awaited the impeding death of the Republic's last remnants.

Wedge Antilles looked with alarm at the incoming _Supremacy, _watching as a massive blue laser formed at the cannon's mouth.

He closed his eyes, knowing that there was no escape. All the brave men and women serving on the _New Alderaan _would die, but he could only hope that they would die proudly, knowing they had served their free galaxy well.

"It's been an honor, Master Skywalker," Wedge said quietly into the radio.

"Wedge!" Luke shouted. Before he could do anything to help, the blue laser beam sprouted from the cannon and shot straight across the aireal battle arena towards the _New Alderaan._

As the cannon blasted a hole in the main New Republic command ship, the entire vessel was consumed with fire and rubble. The hangars, the command station, the corridors, the crew member outposts, all reduced to space debris in an instant.

Ackbar and the crew of the_ Raddus _watched in horror as the _New Alderaan _was blown into smithereens.

"No," Luke whispered, unable to hold back the tears.

Hux's face was completely expressionless as he observed the achievement of his brainchild. Snoke, on the other hand, was glowing in triumph.

"Now target the Resistance ships," he ordered, "I want them all destroyed."

"Move out of range!" Ackbar ordered.

"Hurry!"

Connix pulled the acceleration lever inside the transport carrier that she was piloting, speeding into the hangar of the _Raddus._

"Master Skywalker, you must return immediately," Ackbar urged, "We cannot stop Snoke's ultimate weapon. Not yet."

"Leave that to us," Luke said, a certain numbness in his voice.

"Master Skywalker, even you can't possibly..."

Luke shut off the radio of the _Falcon._

_"_Finn!" he shouted to the hole serving as the cockpit's entrance.

"Yes, Master?" Finn called back from the gunner's chair.

"We're going to extract Poe from Snoke's ship."

Unseen by the personnel aboard the _Supremacy, _little BB8 crept through the corridors, past the booted feet of stormtroopers and officers as they raced to man their station.

The gargantuan vessel was completely unaffected by the shells of fire striking it from Resistance fighters and command ships.

BB8 snuck through the entrance of a turbolift as an oblivious captain opened it.

When the turbolift was shut and rising, the captain finally took notice of BB8.

"What is this?" the man wondered as he bent over to pick up the little round droid.

A small compartment built onto BB8's tiny head opened up, and a small but powerful electrical wire sprouted and poked into the man's head.

The captain immedialtely went into convulsions, shaking uncontrollably as a shock went through his body. He dropped to the elevator floor, releasing BB8 who gave a mischievous whistle.

As the the X and Y Wings fruitlessly hammered at the seemingly invulnerable _Supremacy, _Chewbacca piloted the _Millenium Falcon _over the hull of the Dreadnought, taking advantage of the _Falcon_'s smal size to avoid the _Supremacy_'s detectors.

"Chewie, wait!" Luke exclaimed. From the viewing mirror in the _Falcon'_s cockpit, Luke could see the _Supremacy_'s large cannon twisting towards the Resistance command ship.

"Here we go," Hux whispered as his men readied the laser, "Goodbye, Resistance scum." His expression was cold and callous as the laser prepared to fire.

"Take us away from this battleship!" Luke said to Chewbacca, who instantly backed the _Falcon_ off of the _Supremacy'_s hull.

"They're going to fire on our other ship!" Finn shouted as the blue laser beam appeared.

Luke took a deep breath, preparing himself for the exertion to come. This laser had nearly the power of the Death Star, and he was the only chance of stopping it.

"Burn them," Hux said.

As the laser shot into space, Luke reached from the _Falcon's _cockpit with both his flesh and robotic hands, and used the Force to arrest the massive laser beam in it's tracks.

"I don't believe it!" Admiral Ackbar said.

"It has to be Master Skywalker," Connix murmured in admiration as the transport carrier landed safely on the main hangar of the _Raddus._

Luke's body trembled as he put every ounce of his energy into keeping this laser beam at bay.

_Size matters not, _he remembered Yoda telling him.

Chewbacca let out a loud roar as his copilot continued to restrain the bolt, while Threepio uttered, "Master Luke, that does not appear to be very safe to me!"

It was just matter, Luke thought. As Finn scrambled back into the cockpit, Luke could feel liquid all over his sweating face as his body muscles tensed.

"What the..." Hux mumbled, checking the holoprojector for nearby ships.

"It's the blasted _Falcon!" _he screamed. Into his comlink channelled to all TIE Fighters, Hux exclaimed, "Blast that piece of junk out of the air!"

TIE Fighters came swarming towards the _Falcon _as Luke used the Force to bend the laser in a ninety-degree angle, facing away from Onderon's orbit.

Luke took several deep breaths, inhaling as much air as he could as his body grew weary from the effort. Then, exhaling, he released the manipulated laser beam and sent it into the vacuum of space as it vanished.

The crew aboard the _Raddus _marveled the impossible feat as Hux clenched his fists and teeth.

Chewbacca patted Luke on the back as he exhaustedly sank into his chair.

"You all right?" Finn asked.

"Fighters...incoming..." Luke gasped, fighting for his breath.

Seeing the TIEs, Finn scrambled back to the gunner's booth and opened fire, while Chewie did the same from the cockpit.

Catching his breath, Luke took the controls of the _Falcon_ and steered the ship around the TIE Fighters as Chewie and Finn blasted them.

"How are we going to get in?" Finn called from down below as Luke flew the _Millennium Falcon _over the north tower of the seemingly impenetrable _Supremacy._

"Leave...that to me," Luke panted, "Artoo and I have a plan."

Artoo Deetoo whistled his approval as Threepio said, "Oh, I really don't like this."

On top of the Pasaana gorge where Rey and Kylo had conducted their intense routine of training, the two of them sat by a campfire beside the stolen shuttle which Rey had taken from Coruscant while Kylo had recaptured his Tie Silencer.

Night had fallen on the desert world as Rey and Kylo ate the light dinner they had packed.

"When are we going to be able to stop Snoke?" Rey asked.

Kylo looked up from his meal and pondered the question before replying.

"Although his mastery of the dark side is considerable, Snoke does not stop pursuing knowledge. We will need the dark side's maximum power in order to end him."

Rey considered what this meant. She had accepted that the dark side was necessary to a degree. Master Skywalker's rigid adherence to the Jedi principles were not enough.

But despite his assistance to Rey and her friends on Mustafar, Kylo was still more consumed by the dark side than was ideal, and more than he probably wished he was. Rey had one enemy at a time to deal with, she told herself. If Kylo was still a threat to her and her allies after Snoke's defeat, she would deal with him in the same manner.

"There is a place that I have felt, calling to me," Kylo continued, "I feel as though we need to go there in order to complete our mission."

"What sort of place?" Rey asked.

Kylo hesitated before replying, mulling over the dangers of this realm. "Do you know of the ancient Sith world of Moraband?"

Rey nodded, concern overtaking her regarding where Kylo was going with this. "I learned of it when I studied with Master Skywalker."

"The darkest secrets of the Force are kept there, more powerful than even Snoke and the Knights of Ren know," Kylo said.

"Are you proposing that we go there?" Rey asked.

"I didn't want to," Kylo told her, "I no longer wish to align so closely with the dark side. But we've been pursued by Snoke's agents for too long, and we've been unable to beat them."

"How do I know this isn't a trap?" Rey questioned, trying to sense Kylo's intentions, and sensing nothing.

"How could I possibly trap you any more than I have?" Kylo replied seriously, "We are in the same predicament."

Rey remained silent, unable to counter this point.

"When do we leave?" she asked.

Before Kylo could respond, both of them were struck by a splitting headache.

As Kylo and Rey clutched their throbbing foreheads, Kylo exclaimed, "They found us!"

Down below in the gorge, Kylo's TIE Silencer exploded as it was hit by a laser from above.

The two warriors stood on their feet, igniting their weapons as the frigate descended onto the ground.

The ramp opened, and a dozen dark-clad warriors raced out of the ship, brandishing weapons that included lightsabers, vibroblades, and pike-staffs.

The lead Knight stepped forward and threw down his mask, revealing the face of Tengil, a shaved man around the same age as Kylo.

"So the coward shows himself," Tengil sneered, "You've run away long enough. Time for you to face your doom, Kylo Ren."

"You and your little friend are no match for our dark powers," a woman named Zorri Bliss replied.

Kylo didn't reply, but instead charged at Tengil, whi raised his lightsaber in anticipation. All the Knights attacked now, and Rey rushed to join the fight.

Blade after blade, striking at her. She pushed back the staff of Zorri Bliss before leaping into the air to avoid a man named Ruber's saber blade.

"Run!" she shouted to Kylo, immediately realizing they were outmatched.

But Kylo kept attacking Tengil, determined to finally finish off his longtime rival.

Rey began to sprint, but turned as she saw Kylo being overcome by the dark Knights.

She hurled her blue lightsaber at Ruber as he dealt a blow to the fallen Kylo's stomach.

Ruber howled as the lightsaber drove into his leg.

Rey summoned her weapon back into her hand as the Knight's attention turned away from Kylo.

The first Knight to rush at Rey was Zorri Bliss.

Rey stood at the ready as Zorri Bliss advanced, but the dark Knight did not attack with her pike, instead using the Force to seize Rey's throat.

Rey gasped for air as her feet lifted off the ground.

"No!" Kylo yelled as he tried to rush to Rey's assistance, but he was forced to use his lightsaber to defend himself from the remaining Knights of Ren.

Remembering Kylo's training in the dark side, Rey outstretched her free hand, concentrating on Zorri Bliss.

She was able to grab her opponent's throat, causing Zorri Bliss to release her as Rey squeezed hard.

As she continued to Force-choke Zorri Bliss, Rey sensed an attack coming at her from behind.

She turned to block the vibroblade of a masked warrior named Melehan and parried, pushing his blade downward.

Zorri Bliss recovered as Rey struggled against Melehan, and rushed at her from behind.

As Rey turned to meet Bliss' attack, Melehan seized her whole body with the Force, lifting her and flinging Rey towards the edge of the nearby cliff.

Rey screamed as she flew through the air, falling down towards the ledge.

She barely managed to grab on, holding on for dear life. Her discarded lightsaber was lying just in front of her, if only she could reach it...

A pair of black boots appeared before her, and a glove hand extended to help.

Rey looked up at the scarred face of Kylo Ren, who whispered, "Hurry."

Rey didn't hesitate, grabbing his hand and allowing him to pull her up.

They were now caught between all eleven Knights of Ren and the gorge behind them.

"Jump!" Kylo cried as the Knights of Ren charged.

Rey followed his lead, using the Force to proper her leap into the air, high over their heads.

Kylo dashed towards their distant shuttle, Rey following close behind. Every breath she took felt like it would be her last. Her stomach was moving back and forth as her legs and hands ached.

At long last, her feet reached the ramp of their shuttle.

As soon as she entered, Kylo used the Force to slam the ramp shut, racing for the cockpit.

Twenty seconds later, the two of them had left the atmosphere of Pasaana and were blasting off into the unknown regions of space.

Aboard the _Supremacy,_ BB8 crept into the corridor that led to the main control tower. There were far fewer feet clanking past him, this was one of the most restricted areas of Snoke's Dreadnought. He had gotten the information necessary from the ship's readings, all he needed now was to find his master and get him out of there.

In Poe's detention cell, Hux stood over the restrained colonel sadistically, holding up his prod demonstratively.

"Right, now let's see what use we can get out of you, Dameron," he sneered.

"Wouldn't it be easier to execute me by firing squad?" Poe asked.

Hux struck him again with the prod, sending an electric shock through Poe once again.

"Before we find out whether your will or your organs will last longer, maybe you want to make my job easier," Hux said, squatting so that he was facing his captive eye-to-eye.

Poe closed his eyes to avoid Hux's snarling glaare.

"On what system is your New Republic headquarters?"

"Oh, the classic 'where is the Rebel base,'" Poe chuckled, having long gained experience in resisting torture, "I was hoping for something more original, to be honest with you."

Hux grunted and jabbed Poe again, this time in the forehead.

Poe's brain was jolted by the blow, throbbing inside his skull.

"You'll make your own death and those of your friends much quicker," Hux told him, "You'll be released from the world of pain you are otherwise in for."

"Go to hell," Poe replied, dropping the cocky act. He'd heard that speech one too many times, and all he wanted was to detonate the whole Star Destroyer into stardust.

Hux raised his foot and kicked Poe in the stomach. The colonel groaned as his rib cracked and the wind was knocked out of him.

Before he could recover, Hux struck him with the stunning device once again, causing Poe's limbs to tremble in shock.

Hux backed away, preparing to hit Poe Dameron with everything he had.

All of the sudden, Poe's shackles unbound themselves from his ankles and wrists and dropped to the floor.

Hux moved to attack him, but Poe was quick, swinging his fists towards Hux's head.

A few stormtroopers appeared at the doorway with their blasters raised, but they were immediately slammed by an unseen force into the wall, hard enough to render them unconscious.

At that exact moment, the _Supremacy's _alarm system went off at full blast, filling the hallways, elevators, and stations.

Hux fought back, trying to strike at Poe with his prod, but Poe kept his arm restrained as he socked the First Order's military leader again.

Howling from the severity of the blow, Hux dropped the prod. Poe kicked it far away as Hux aimed a low blow.

Poe got him hard in the nose, leaving a splash of blood on his fist.

More stormtroopers entered the area, but they were all somehow pushed into the wall, causing them to drop to the hallway floor.

At last, BB8 and Artoo Deetoo both appeared around the clutter of unconcious stormtroopers.

"Hey, buddy!" Poe said as he continued to wrestle with Hux, "Took you...long enough."

"That droid..." Hux grunted, "It has something..."

Suddenly, Hux rose from the floor of the corridor and his head slammed hard against the ceiling as Luke Skywalker appeared, green blade ignited as he deflected fire from an approaching batallion.

"Let's go!" he said, beckoning Poe along.

"Yeah, I'm ready to get out of here!" Poe remarked as he followed the two droids after Luke.

"After them!" Hux screamed as he got to his feet, using the wall for support.

Luke continued to ward off enemy blasterfire with both his lightsaber and his mind as they reached a tunnel that led up and out of the north tower.

Luke climbed up first, followed by Artoo using his rocket boosters.

Poe jumped onto the ladder as the red laserfire streaked his way. BB8 was perched on his shoulder as he climbed after Artoo and Luke.

"Hang on, BB8," Poe said as the _Millennium Falcon's _hatch appeared at the end of the tunnel.

Around the awaiting _Falcon_, additional Resistance ships were firing at TIE Fighters that tried to attack the freighter.

Luke jumped high into the air, landing into the _Falcon _as he avoided the deadly vacuum of space.

Hovering his way through the tunnel, Artoo released another cable towards Poe, who grabbed it and held on tight.

He closed his eyes and held his breath as he and BB8 were pulled up the rest of the tunnel into the _Falcon_'s hatch.

Luke used the Force to shut the hatch as they all raced to join Threepio and Chewbacca in the cockpit.

"Lightspeed!" Luke shouted.

Chewbacca was quick to obey, pulling the lever to activate the hyperdrive.

The _Falcon _shot away into the vastness, far from the wrath of the _Supremacy _and the rest of the First Order fleet.


	4. Chapter IV

The _Raddus _had finally arrived at the de facto headquarters for the Resistance at Corellia.

Joined by the _Millennium Falcon, _the Resistance command ship rested in orbit around the urban planet.

Inside the _Raddus's _main command chamber, Admiral Ackbar stood on a balcony addressing the assembled Resistance soldiers, pilots and officers.

Next to Ackbar stood Luke Skywalker, Poe Dameron and See-Threepio, while Finn, Chewbacca, Artoo and BB8 remained on the ground level with the rest of the crowd.

"A moment of silence for General Wedge Antilles, and the fallen crew of the Republic vessel _New Alderaan,"_ Ackbar said.

The assembly fell quiet, mourning the losses taken by Snoke's Dreadnought. Meanwhile, Wedge's transparent face appeared below the large holoprojector built onto the ceiling.

"Thanks to Operation Infiltrator led by Colonel Poe Dameron," Ackbar went on, "We were able to obtain a technical readout of Supreme Leader Snoke's new warship. It is apparently impenetrable by even our most advanced ships and weapons, but with luck, we should be able to find a weakness in it."

"Let's show them what we got, BB8," Poe said. BB8 rolled up to the socket in the wall connected to the balcony, withdrawing his tiny screwdriver and plugging it in.

A hologram of Snoke's Dreadnought filled the space between the ground floor and the balcony. The Resistance assembly gazed in a mixture of awe, fear and anger at the First Order's greatest asset.

"Right," Poe said, "So we've analyzed these blueprints of Snoke's Star Destroyer, and it looks like the ship has a shield generator from within. Now, only Master Skywalker here..."

Luke flushed modestly as Poe gestured to him, earning Luke several dozen marvelling stares from the crowd.

"...has been able to infiltrate Snoke's ship without being captured first, like I was."

"It was all part of a plan, Colonel," Luke assured him, "a plan you successfully orchestrated and executed without a hitch."

"Thank you, Master Skywalker," Poe said, unable to entirely fight back a grin, "anyway, we can't let any of our forces get captured again, since I doubt General Hux will be so merciful a second time." He touched a gash on his neck from Hux's torture.

"I propose Master Skywalker lead the strike against the First Order's lead ship," Poe went on, "he got in once, and he can again."

Chewbacca let out a series of interjecting roars from the audience, and the timid Threepio stepped forward to speak up.

"Excuse me, Colonel Dameron," the protocol droid said, "but Chewbacca has pointed out that surely the Supreme Leader will be expecting Master Luke and may indeed spring a trap."

"Yes, knowing Snoke, he will very well be expecting another fight with Master Skywalker," Poe replied uneasily, looking sideways at his fellow Resistance leader, "He'll also be expecting Luke on the _Millennium Falcon. _That's why we must use the _Falcon _as a decoy." He paused uneasily, glancing at Finn and Chewbacca.

"Finn," Poe said, addresssing his friend more personally although the whole assembly could still hear him, "It will be your job to divert the attention of Snoke's fleet piloting the _Falcon. _I know you can outfly their ships and their cannons."

"You can count on me, Colonel," Finn replied with a salute and a grin.

"Chewie?" Poe asked tentatively.

Chewbacca gave a roar indicative of his agreement to the plan.

"All right then," Poe said, smiling with anticipation, "Master Skywalker will be on one of the small trooper carriers defended by our fighters."

He flipped a switch next to the holoprojector power control panel, showing the minature images of several X-Wing and Y-Wing Fighters, all revolving around a fleet of transport carriers hovering over the holographic _Supremacy._

Snoke's throne room was contained in an isolated, inconspicuous chamber of the _Supremacy. _The room had a crimson glow throughout its walls, appearing in a more frightening, sinister light.

The robed Supreme Leader sat perched on his majestic throne, unafraid of any threat that dared challenge him.

He had again been unable to get the upper hand against Skywalker, Snoke knew, but he also knew that his great enemy did not have unlimited power. Luke would grow exhausted as Snoke's forces continued to keep him busy, and as the Knights of Ren closed in around the girl Rey.

She and the traitor Kylo Ren would both pay dearly.

Snoke pressed a button on the arm of his throne, and the round face of the dark warrior Tengil popped up.

"What is it?" the gnarled Supreme Leader growled.

"My master, we are on the tail of Kylo Ren and his female companion Rey," Tengil replied, "They are bound for the ancient Sith world of Moraband."

"There could not be a better place for them to meet their match," Snoke replied, a smile forming on his twisted features, "The strong influence of the dark side on that world will surely aid your abilities in battle. They stand no chance this time."

"Your training has served us well, Supreme Leader," Tengil replied before his hologram disappeared.

Snoke pondered for a moment, considering the possibilites. The Knights of Ren were very strong, there was no denying, but in three years, they had failed to kill two runaways.

Even with the enhanced aura of darkness surrounding the planet Moraband, Snoke was unsure of whether his elite warriors could defeat the bloodline of Darth Vader.

Pressing another button, Snoke said, "General Hux?"

The voice of Armitage Hux replied, "Yes, Supreme Leader?"

"We are to abandon our current objective. Send all ships to the Moraband system immediately. I have a new plan to lead us to victory."

"But Supreme Leader, what about the plan to ensnare Skywalker?" Hux questioned.

"Our mission to Moraband has everything to do with bringing Skywalker to me," Snoke replied, "and making sure that we hit him where it hurts."

The planet Moraband was filled with mist and covered with mountain ranges.

Where there wasn't mountains, there were Sith Temples built throughout the terrain, having been occupied by generations of Dark Lords over the course of millenia, with dark and ancient knowledge stored within the temple walls.

"Here we are," Rey remarked hollowy as the two of them gazed at the small world through the cockpit. She had no idea of what to expect here, but she could sense the call of evil, beckoning her.

She had felt something not entirely different back on Ahch To, and again on Mustafar in Darth Vader's abandoned castle, but this...this was different. This was the root of all darkness.

"When we learn what we need to know from this place, there will be no stopping us," Kylo said, convincing himself as much as Rey. Like her, he somewhat balked at entering a domain of such horror, afraid of becoming even more consumed by the dark side than previously.

But Snoke was responsible for both their miserable plights, and he would have to pay in kind.

"Do we know what we're looking for?" Rey asked as she steered the ship down towards Moraband's foggy atmosphere.

"Not exactly, but whatever it is...it's waiting for us," Kylo replied, "the presence down here, it wants us to take its knowledge."

Rey stared ahead as she flew the ship through the fog, down into the mountain ranges.

"Do you feel it?" Kylo asked her.

Rey blinked and jerked her head. "More so as we've approached the planet," she replied, taking another deep breath. This evil, polluted all over the planet, she knew it. She didn't remember how, but she had felt this evil presence before.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Kylo asked.

Startled, Rey glanced sideways at him. This wasn't the first time he'd expressed concern for her in the time they'd been alone together, but it was still incredibly hard to get used to, given what she knew about him.

Clearly Kylo was having second thoughts like she was, but Rey knew that the longer they hesitated, the more in danger they and all of Rey's friends were.

"Yeah," she replied, nodding, "I'm ready to do whatever it takes to bring down Snoke. Even if it means embracing the dark side."

"We got trouble," Kylo said with a jolt, glancing that the shuttle's scanners.

Rey sensed the danger a second after Kylo as the ship was struck from behind.

Three frigates were behind them, having followed them all the way from Pasaana.

"Man the guns," Rey said as she manuevered the ship around to face the Knights of Ren.

Inside the lead frigate, Tengil gazed at the stolen transport as it prepared to open fire.

"Blow them into ashes," he hissed.

Maz Kanata's stone castle stood proudly over Nymeve Lake on the lush, green world of Takodana. Little about it had changed since the First Order's attack three and a half years previously, given that Maz's fortune had been more than enough to repaor the damage dealt to it.

Since the war had taken both the First Order and Resistance armies far across the galaxy, Takodana had ceased to be a point of focus. In fact, there appeared to be no sign that there had been an attack at all, not inside Maz's castle nor out in the forest and beaches.

The tavern inside was buzzing with much of the same activity as before, with Maz serving drinks to smugglers, bounty hunters, pilots and traders alike. She was not choosy about who she served, as long as they followed her number one rule: no violence.

Being on the business end of the tavern didn't mean that Maz didn't like to have her fun, however. At the moment, she stood up on a table, with a Trandoshan bounty hunter standing up on the adjacent one. The crowd cheered her on with all the rowdiness that came with drunken activity.

Two targets were posted on the wall one hundred feet from Maz and the Trandoshan, both of whom were carrying blaster rifles.

Indeed, the weapon in Maz's hands seemed too large for such a tiny figure, but she held it with grace as she concentrated on her target.

The Trandoshan fired first, striking the round perimeter around the target's center. He swore and banged his green, scaly fist.

Maz was next. Holding the gun steadily, she pulled the trigger and fired straight through the center of the target.

Cheers went out for the legendary pirate.

The Trandoshan glanced over at his opponent and hissed threateningly. He then fired once more at the distant target, blowing through the wall above it.

"Maz! Maz! Maz! Maz! Maz!"

Maz let out a whoop before firing, once again hitting the target dead center.

The patrons raised their glasses and toasted her. A Rodian pushed through the crowd and handed Maz a small bag full of credits.

"Thank you, thank you," she said modestly.

A green fist came flying her way. Maz ducked backwards before performing a backflip off the table.

Swinging his large rifle, the old Trandoshan lunged at Maz, who jumped high into the air with reflexes only the Force could have granted her, and gave the bounty hunter a swift kick between the eyes.

The Trandoshan Bossk fell back against the table with a grunt. He then rose to his feet, once again lunging with the heavy rifle.

Instead of hitting Maz, he struck a nearby Wookiee customer, who immediately retaliated, punching Bossk in the face.

An uproar broke out in the bar, with Maz ducking under hand and foot.

"No violence!" she shouted hoarsely, "No violence!"

It mattered not. This was the perfect opportunity for Maz to slip out.

She crept through the crowd of fighting patrons, towards the stone, spiral staircase leading away from the cantina.

Sensing the beacon, Maz crept into a narrow passageway made of stone underground and opened a small, metal door.

As she had expected, a small, shimmering ghost appeared before her. The Jedi spirit was as nearly as old as she was, and just as tiny.

"Master Yoda, it's been too long," Maz said, bowing respectfully to the ancient Jedi Grand Master.

"So it has, my old friend, so it has," Yoda replied in his gnarled, wizened voice, "come to my attention, a grave matter has, a matter regarding the girl Rey."

"You've watched over her then?" Maz asked, peering over her goggles at Yoda's ghostly form.

"All her life," Yoda replied, "But now, in danger she is in, danger from which she may never escape if help her, you do not."

"I suppose I have no other choice, Master Yoda," Maz said, "But the mess at the bar..."

"Violence, repeat itself it will," Yoda said with a bitter snort, "Worry about the petty squabbles, you should not, not when the future of the Force is at stake."

"I'll go immediately," Maz replied, bowing her orange head, "but how will I know where to find her?"

"Guide you to her, I will," Yoda said, pacing the floor of Maz's cellar.

"Your guidance has always shown me the way," Maz said, "I have always held faith in the Jedi way."

Yoda smiled fondly at his old friend and former Jedi colleague. "Missed you, have I, Maz Kanata."

Rey and Kylo's piloting skills were beyond considerable, but even they were no match for three frigates tailing them.

As Rey tilted the shuttle sideways, it was caught by an explosive blue laser beam, starting a fire on the right bottom wing.

"We're starting to spin out of control!" Rey shouted as the ship turned three-hundred-and-sixty degrees sideways.

Kylo fired the guns of the shuttle with all of his anger and might, but they were being struck down from all sides.

"Lower the ship down," Kylo said as Tengil's frigate shot through their rear quarters, "We're coming in too hard." The shuttle was now tilted sideways as Rey tried to maintain control.

"I'm...trying..." Rey grunted as she struggled with the controls, yanking the lever hard.

Kylo's jets of laserfire were flying directly below the trio of frigates.

"We're going down!" Rey shouted as the shuttle went falling down towards the rocky, unforgiving surface of Moraband, "Brace yourself!"

The shuttle was about to crash in a possibly fatal explosion. She had to act now.

Rey concentrated intensely, tapping into the Force like never before. Vaguely, she could sense Kylo doing the same thing in the seat next to her, helping her slow down the crashing shuttle as it hit the rocky ground, causing the cockpit to shake violently.

Rey nearly fell out of her pilot's chair as she held onto the controls.

The stolen First Order shuttle slid across the dirt ground, emitting smoke and ash in a trail behind it, until it skidded to a painful stop.

As the Knights of Ren's transports sailed over them, Rey and Kylo both crawled weakly out of the smouldering cockpit, coughing.

Her lungs filled with smoke, Rey took several deep breaths, turning to her fellow trainee. She managed to ask him, "Do we...know...what we're looking for here?"

Kylo gazed towards a mountaintop ahead of them. Distantly, several towering stone statues could be made out.

"The Valley of the Dark Lords," he replied, unable to fight back a feeling of hunger for what was ahead, "Do you feel it?"

Rey concentrated on the point above them, closimg her eyes.

"Yes," she said, nodding, "Whatever's in there, it's summoning me to it."

"They'll be back for us soon," Kylo said, referring to the Knights of Ren, "We'd best get moving."

Without any time to waste, the two of them began trekking towards the mountain leading up into the Valley of the Dark Lords.

As they hiked up the slope, Rey could feel the presence even more strongly. It was beyond any evil she'd ever experienced.

Several times before and after they reached the top, Rey wondered whether she should turn around and find transport offworld. Leave Kylo to his own devices.

No, she couldn't do that, Rey decided, not when he had a chance to become far more powerful than herself, not when he could still be a threat. Whatever he wanted on Moraband, she had to have as well.

Finally reaching the summit of the mountain, the two of them passed through a row of massive statues, glowering down at them.

Bane, Revan, Exar Kun, Naga Sadow, they were all watching Rey, boring into her.

Not just their statues, but their spirits haunting the Valley. Rey could feel the souls of a thousand ancient Sith Lords taunting her as she followed Kylo down the slope, towards a medium-sized temple remniscent of the Jedi Academy on Ossus.

"This is it," Kylo said, gesturing to the Temple, "What we're looking for is in here."

"Wait!" Rey said, stopping suddenly in her tracks. A shiver ran through her spine as she began to tremble.

For the first time, she felt scared. Genuinely afraid of the evil being inside the temple down in the valley.

Kylo turned around and asked, "What?"

"This is a bad idea," Rey said, trying and failing to ward off the evil spirits whispering to her.

"We've come this far already," Kylo replied, "We can't stop now."

All of the sudden, gray clouds filled the sky, covering the landscape rapidly.

"What's happening?" Rey asked in fright. She wanted to run away from the horror, but her feet were frozen on the rocky slope.

Ominous, sinister thunder rang out, and a gargantuan bolt of crackling blue lightning filled the sky.

For his part, Kylo could not help but feel a sliver of hesitation as the magnitude of what he was pursuing hit him.

But he knew exactly what this lightning was, and he knew there was no turning back.


	5. ChapterV

The blue lightning continued to flash through the gloomy Moraband sky.

"Kylo, this is a really, really bad idea," Rey said, pivoting her feet to turn back.

Kylo ignored her and walked towards the temple, drawn towards the beacon inside like a moth to the flame.

Rey watched him walk away from her towards the archway leading inside. A part of her wanted to continue calling him back, but no, she was not responsible for his safety or well-being. She didn't really care either, did she?

The lightning flashed again, and before either of them could take another breath, a sinister, crackling voice spoke from the air to them.

"You have come a long way, young ones. Your journey nears it's end."

A cackle rang out across the valley as Kylo took several steps back.

Rey reached for the lightsaber on her belt and activated it. She had only vague memories of this voice, but this had to be the beacon calling them to Moraband.

She exchanged a knowing look with Kylo who said with awe, "It's him. It's really him."

"Wait...who?" Rey asked in bewilderment.

The same evil laugh followed, and all of the sudden, several dozen soliders materialized from seemingly nothing.

Several more rushed out of the Temple, training their weapons on the newcomers.

These armored men looked very much like the First Order's stormtroopers, however, their armor was painted crimson red.

Kylo ignited his cross-shaped weapon and stepped closer to Rey.

The troopers fired their weapons, spraying not the usual laserfire, but Sith lightning, the kind used by Snoke and other masters of the dark side.

"These men, they've been possessed by the dark side," Kylo said as he caught several jolts of the energy on his red blade.

Rey leaped into the air as she was nearly electrocuted by the Sith Troopers.

As she came back to the rough ground, she sliced through the heads of two nearby warriors, before plunging her weapon into the chest of a third.

Kylo, meanwhile, was struggling to ward away the crackling energy as he blocked it with his blade.

As he lunged to slice off a red-armored man's arm, several more Sith Troopers jolted his body with the lightning from their blasters, sending Kylo to his knees.

The dark presence laughed and flashed more lightning in the sky as Rey charged.

She screamed as intense pain hit her arms and legs, and she was sent onto her back.

She aimed her hand at one of the Sith Troopers firing at her and seized his neck with the Force.

The Sith Trooper lifted off the ground and sputtered, dropping his blaster and reaching for his neck.

Rey sent him colliding into several of his comrades and struggled to her feet. Before the men could recover, Rey attacked them with her lightsaber, feeding into her aggression as she cut through the Sith Troopers

Facing the dark soldiers forcing him to kneel, Kylo raised his lightsaber and flicked his wrist, sending the red blade flying through the chest of the man in front of him.

The lightsaber cut clear through the stomachs of five Sith Troopers before swinging back through the air into Kylo's gloved fist.

The deck officer below the deck of the Star Destroyer _Finalizer _reported to his supervisor, "Sir, we're picking up on an approaching ship."

"That's General Hux's shuttle," the supervisor replied, checking the screen, "Wasn't he stationed on the Supreme Leader's Dreadnought? What's he doing back here?"

A communication signal from the shuttle followed.

"_Finalizer, _the general wants immediate entry."

"Entry granted," the deck officer said into the comm channel.

Accompanied by a guard of shadowtroopers, Captain Peavey awaited calmly as the Imperial shuttle descended onto the main hangar of the Star Destroyer _Finalizer._

Hux's longtime lieutenant could not help but feel a slight quiver of fear at the general's arrival. It wasn't normal for him to come so quickly, without warning. What were he and Supreme Leader Snoke up to?

Peavey bowed instinctively as Hux hastily walked down the ramp of his shuttle.

"General, what an unexpected pleasure."

"No time, Captain," Hux replied hurriedly, "We must terminate all of the ship's comm channels immediately."

"Is something wrong, General?" asked anxiously, surprised by this uncharacteristically sudden order.

Hux stopped and stared coldly at the captain. "The Supreme Leader demands it, Captain. Have all technicians on the job immediately or I will inform Snoke that you defied my orders."

Peavey could easily detect the murderous venom in Hux's voice, but he was still taken aback by this urgency.

"Right...right away, General," he replied, turning and hurrying back to the command bridge.

Inside the _Raddus's _main hangar, Poe's X-Wing fighter lifted off the ground as he steered it towards the exit, along with the sea of ships departing.

"Let's go BB8," he mumbled to the white and orange droid in his socket before speaking into the radio.

"This is Colonel Dameron with Rogue Squadron, lifting off."

"Copy Rogue Leader," said Finn's voice.

He and Chewbacca were piloting the _Millennium Falcon _above the hull of the _Raddus, _blended in with the small fleet of transport carriers that followed the small one and two man fighters.

Poe chuckled affectionately at the sound of Finn's voice talking in battle code. That lovestruck stormtrooper really had come a long way.

"Finn, Chewie, you got the plan?"

"Keep Snoke off your backs so that Luke can get into his ship," Finn repeated, "Happy to be your cannon fodder, buddy." He knew Poe would appreicate the joke, no matter the circumstances.

Next to Finn, Chewbacca gave a roar that signaled hiss readiness.

Crouching next to Artoo in the _Falcon_'s cockpit, Threepio grumbled, "Oh, why must it always come to violence?"

Poe smiled again despite the situation and said, "Copy that. All craft, prepare for the countdown."

"Countdown commencing," Admiral Ackbar replied from the _Raddus's_ control station.

"And...now!" Poe exclaimed.

Ship by ship, fighter by fighter, the entire Resistance fleet went into lightspeed, preparing for the largest and most stake-raising battle they had ever known.

Rey and Kylo joined together once again, deflecting the crackling bolts coming towards them from the Sith troopers.

When Rey cut the blaster of the nearest Trooper in half, the man raised his armored hand and fired a burst of energy from it.

Rey held her lightsaber in a defensive position to block it, her knees buckling under the weight.

Seeing an opportunity, Rey aimed a kick at the Sith Trooper, striking him in the stomach and knocking him on his back. She aimed her blade downward and drilled a small, neat hole in the soldier's helmet.

"What are these?" she muttered, turning to find Kylo slamming a Sith Trooper to the ground.

At long last, the mysterious, dark-side powered army was defeated.

More lightning in the clouds appeared as the temple in front of them began to glow.

"Come inside," the sinister voice in the sky commanded them.

"Kylo..." Rey looked at him in confusion.

Kylo was staring at the temple's entrance in determination.

He walked inside. Not knowing better, Rey followed with a jog.

The Sith temple contained shelves of archives, many glowing red holocrons.

Rey could feel the dark side even more strongly, as well as the beckoning presence.

Kylo, on the other hand, knew exactly what he was looking for.

One holocron on the shelf was glowing far more brightly than the others. Its light was flashing directly at the pair, calling them over.

"He wants us to take his knowledge," Kylo whispered, "We can use the secrets found here to destroy Snoke."

"Kylo..." Rey said again with increasing discomfort. This was too far, they could not take anything from this temple, if the presence was what she thought it was.

Inside Snoke's throne room on the _Supremacy, _which had come into orbit around Moraband, the Supreme Leader spoke into the comm channel on the side of the throne's arm.

"General Hux, respond immediately!"

Snoke seethed with rage, pounding his gnarled fists on the arms of his throne.

He switched on a new channel and said, "What is wrong with the communications here? I need to contact Hux right away!"

The officer on duty replied, "I'm sorry Supreme Leader, but Hux's shuttle has left for the _Finalizer. _They seem to have blocked all transmissions."

"Blasphemy," Snoke snarled, fearing the worst, "If he has abandoned his post, then he will pay most dearly."

Snoke's vicious train of thought halted as he felt a terrible tremor in the Force.

It was happening on Moraband, right now in one of the Sith Temples. The Valley of the Dark Lords, Kylo Ren and the scavenger Rey.

"I sense a presence filled with dark power," Snoke mused, "power even greater than myself."

"It's time," he whispered.

Kylo picked up the red, pyramid-shaped holocron from the shelf and placed it on the cobblestone floor.

It continued to glow as the two of them stared at it.

All of the sudden, red, glowing smoke came billowing from the holocron. Slowly, slowly, until it formed a transparent hooded figure with glowing yellow eyes.

"I have been waiting," the dark-side ghost said, "Both of you have come a long way in your training. Now it is time to finish it. I know why you are here. With my knowledge, you can achieve victory over any enemy, no matter how powerful."

Neither Rey nor Kylo dared speak or run. They stared at the crimson-colored visage as it spoke again.

"No need to be afraid, my friends," the hooded visage said to them, "I am here to help. I know who you two are. Ben Solo, heir to darkness. And Rey...from me, you will learn the truth about yourself that Skywalker denied you."

Rey tried to respond, but the words died in her throat. What could she possibly say to this...thing?

It was Kylo who made the first move.

"Darth Sidious," he said with terrifying coldness, "You summoned me, and I answered the call. I am here to learn all there is for you to teach."

"Good," Sidious replied. The smoky image grew larger and larger, filling up the ancient library. "Now, take my knowledge. It all lies within the archives before you. Take it, and seize your destiny!"

"But...but you died," Rey at last managed to say. She couldn't believe that Kylo had tricked her into coming here, hoping to ensnare her into the worst realms of the dark side. "Anakin Skywalker killed you."

"Yes, I was betrayed by my apprentice Vader, who gave in to his weakness in the end. But your grandfather failed to realize the power that I kept hidden from him, the power that lies within these walls.

At last, Rey's courage returned to her.

"I'll never take anything from you. I know what you are. I know what you've done to the galaxy!"

"Yes, and look what it has brought me," Sidious replied, his yellow eyes glowering hungrily, "No mortal can ever match my power. It is time, young Rey, that you knew the truth. Unlike Skywalker, I have never lied to you or given you reason to doubt me. I alone possess the knowledge you seek."

"I'm leaving," Rey snapped, "I don't care what you know or what you can do. You were a monster when you were alive and you're a monster now!"

As Rey started out the Sith library's exit, Kylo gripped his lightsaber hilt, preparing to activate the blade.

Sidious's ghostly form appeared in front of Rey, causing her to flinch and nearly scream.

"Are you going to leave before knowing just how deeply Luke Skywalker hurt you?" Sidious asked in a sympathetic voice that did not at all match his aura of extreme evil.

"You don't know anything about me!" Rey declared, holding her own lightsaber hilt ready to activate.

"That blade," Sidious commented, "I remember it well. Built by Anakin Skywalker, who became my apprentice Vader. Taken by his son, Luke Skywalker, whose compassion proved to be Vader's fatal destruction. And now, you hold it, child, passed on to you from your father."

Rey gaped at the evil ghost as he laughed. That made no sense, she had gotten it from Maz's castle on Takodana. It had called to her...it had _called _to _her. _

Much like Sidious's holocron had called to her on Moraband.

The Skywalker lightsaber, waiting for her in a chest. Luke Skywalker, leaving her on Jakku, Luke, handing the lightsaber to Maz for safekeeping, it all made sense. She could see it as clearly as she saw the evil ghost in front of her.

The Knights of Ren trekked through the hills of Moraband, following the trail left by their quarry. As Tengil led the way, the wrist gauntlet on his suit blinked.

Tengil held out a gloved hand and signaled for his fellow dark warriors to stop.

Switching on the gauntlet, Tengil responded to the tiny hologram of Supreme Leader Snoke.

"Yes, my Master?"

"New orders Tengil," Snoke replied, "Bring Kylo Ren to me alive, at all costs. He has discovered a deadly weapon. I need the secrets he has unlocked. Bring him and the Holocron to me."

"Yes, of course, Supreme Leader."

Rey switched on the blue crystal blade, turning back to Kylo Ren as he knelt beside the Sith Holocron.

"It's time to activate it," he said to her, "Time to get everything we can."

"No!" Rey shouted.

Kylo took the glove off of his remaining flesh hand and placed his hand on the Holocron. He closed his eyes, concentrating on the depths of power enclosed within.

"Yes, yes, blood of Skywalker," Sidious cackled, "Your destiny awaits. Soon you will be an unstoppable force of nature."

"No!" Rey shouted again, determined to finish it before it started.

She ran towards Kylo, lightsaber poised to strike.

He gazed back up at her, his eyes having turned to a startling yellow hue.

He raised his own lightsaber and blocked Rey's attack.

"This knowledge that I've unlocked, it can be yours too," he said, enjoying every inch of it, "I feel it swelling through me now. There's nothing like it."

"You're still the same evil creature you always were," Rey replied, "You never turned."

"No, and now you will turn," Kylo replied, "or die." He pressed his lightsaber against Rey's and the battle was on.

"All fighters accounted for," Poe reported, leading the swarms as they massed in front of the First Order's fleet.

"Something's wrong," Major Connix said from the cockpit of her transport carrier, several men and women were armed and ready to storm the Dreadnoughts. "Snoke's ship is nowhere to be seen."

Poe gazed at the fleet ahead, seeing several Star Destroyers, but none that could be as large as the _Supremacy._

"It's nowhere in sight!" he exclaimed, "This is a decoy fleet."

"Incoming!" Finn shouted from the _Millennium Falcon._

A large green laser shot out from the _Finalizer _directly at the _Falcon _as Chewbacca steered the ship out of the way.

"We got fighters onto us now," Poe said as the TIEs emerged from the Star Destroyers.

Inside the _Finalizer'_s main control room, Captain Peavey ordered, "Concentrate as much fire as possible on the _Millennium Falcon. _There's a good chance Luke Skywalker is on it."

Peavey looked around curiously, his attention turning from the igniting space battle.

"Where is General Hux?" he wondered aloud, still puzzled by his superior officer's unusual behavior.

Inside his private chamber, Armitage Hux activated a secret comm channel, the only one unknown to most personnel aboard the _Finalizer. _He'd installed it himself, long ago, in anticipation of such an opportunity as this one.

With a smile, Hux punched in the code and activated the channel.

"They're coming at us by the dozen!" Finn shouted as he fired the front cannons of the _Falcon _at the swarming TIE Fighters, "They think Luke is on here."

From his older, rustier X-Wing fighter , Luke chimed in. "I have a bad feeling about this."

The ever-faithful Artoo whistled a reply from the droid socket.

"Yeah, I know," Luke replied fondly.

The Jedi Master opened fire on the TIE Fighters, his piloting skills even more tuned than they had been thirty-five years ago, during the battle of Yavin.

He could almost feel Han in the _Falcon _once again, coming to his aid when he needed it most. He almost felt Leia, praying for him down on the moon of Yavin.

But no, it was Finn next to Chewie in the _Falcon _now, and Leia was not there.

Luke's concentration went back to the TIE Fighters ahead as he blasted them down, every laser shot missing his X Wing as he used the Force to aid his flying.

Rey, Luke thought, she was still blocked from him by the Force. But she wasn't dead, Luke would have known it. He had also blocked himself off from Han as well, out of shame, and he'd known immediately when his best friend had been killed.

On the _Falcon, _Finn was thinking along similar lines.

He switched on a channel directly to Luke's fighter.

"Master, do you sense it too? Do you sense Rey?"

"Stay focused Finn," Luke chided gravely, dodging fire from another fighter as he flew directly underneath the _Finalizer, _"that's the best we can do right now."

Strike after strike, across the temple, Rey and Kylo vied for the offensive as they clashed blades with increasing anger.

Rey looked behind her and realized that she was nearly backed against the wall.

Remembering her training but remembering not to allow her dark emotions to consume her, Rey leapt backwards and planted both feet flat on the wall, springing off of it back at Kylo.

Kylo was caught unprepared, and howled as Rey's lightsaber cut through his sleeve and left a burn on his arm.

He pushed back harder, bringing more hatred into every blow.

Sidious's spirit watched gleefully, his scarlet image following the two duelists.

"Yes, Ben Solo, yes, achieve what your grandfather could not," he goaded.

Rey kicked at Kylo as he concentrated on their clashing lightsabers. She caught his ankle and nearly caused him to topple backwards, but Kylo leaned forward and slashed Rey's shoulder with one of his minature side-blades.

Rey cried out as her flesh was torn open and stumbled backwards.

Kylo held his blade parallel to his body, preparing to strike again as he moved towards her.

"I'm doing what I have to do," he told her, "For the good of the galaxy. Sidious is the key to victory."

"Not mine," Rey replied, spitting at her opponent as she lunged to strike him again.

Kylo swayed to avoid Rey's sudden rebuke, and backflipped several yards away.

Before either of them could initiate a new attack, Knights of Ren came storming into the chamber, lightsabers, staffs and vibroblades at the ready.

Sidious's head turned to the warriors, and he proceeded to fade back into the Holocron from which he had emerged.

Zorri Bliss stepped forward, ready to strike, but Tengil held out a restraining hand.

"Wait for it," he said, knowing what was going to happen. Let Kylo get rid of the girl first, he thought, to avoid the extra liability.

Kylo's attention briefly shifted to the Knights of Ren who had entered, then back to Rey as she charhed.

She's getting tired, Kylo thought. He raised a hand and before he knew what he was doing, sent a barrage of Sith lightning at Rey, who was not expecting it.

The lightning caught her in the stomach, too much for her to defend against. She screamed in agony as Kylo sent her flying against the wall, the dark energy cutting painfully through her veins and arteries.

She cried out as she tried to break free, but Kylo ruthlessly slammed her against the wall again and again. She just wanted it to end, if she was going to die, then she wanted to die already...

At last, Rey crumpled to the floor of the Sith Temple, lifeless.

Briefly coming to his senses Kylo started for Rey's unconscious form, but stopped as an electric shock ran through his spine, sending him to the ground.

Zorri Bliss had struck him down.

"Restrain him," Tengil ordered as the Knights came forward with ropes and cuffs, "and take the Holocron to the Supreme Leader."

"What about the girl?" Zorri Bliss asked, looking suspiciously at Rey.

"Forget her, she's dead anyway," Tengil replied as the Knights bound up the stunned Kylo and hoisted him off the floor.

Tengil picked up the Holocron itself, studying it curiously. It had stopped glowing and he could not sense any aura from it like Kylo had.

The Supreme Leader would know what to do with it, Tengil decided, he always had a plan.

As the Knights of Ren departed the Sith Templewith their prisoner, marching back up the valley slope, a medium-sized drone hovered down towards the old structure, deployed by a starship called the _Epoch Swift._

Maz Kanata steered the drone down from the cockpit of the _Epoch Swift, _moving its claws in order to gently pick up the unconscious Rey.

The drone picked up the unconcious young woman and clenched her tightly with its built-in metal arms.

The drone then carried her out of the Sith Temple and into the sky, where Maz's ship was waiting.


	6. Chapter VI

The _Supremacy _orbited like a bird of prey around the Sith world of Moraband.

Snoke chuckled as he watched the black-clad Knights of Ren carry the shackled Kylo Ren into his red-colored throne room. Tengil was carrying a red pyramid-prism objectio

It had been three years since he'd seen his defected apprentice, yet young Kylo looked as beaten and broken as ever.

How old was he now, twenty-eight? Still longing childishly for coddling that he had long outgrown, first from Skywalker, then from Snoke himself, and finally from the worthless scavenger named Rey.

"Well done, my mighty warriors, well done," Snoke said as the Knights dropped Kylo on the floor in front of their master. "Kylo Ren, the traitor. At last, you are mine again. Soon you will give me everything you have taken from the Sith Temple on Moraband."

The restrained Kylo twisted his body so that his face was directed at the towering Supreme Leader.

Snoke gazed down at the disgraced Kylo, who refused to look away. This was the man who had dragged him into the fire, abused him far more than Skywalker ever had. The man who had nearly forced him to strike his mother down in cold blood.

The man whom Kylo had been working for three years to defeat. And now, this was his chance. He didn't need Rey as long as he had the power of Darth Sidious on his side.

"The Force-powered Holocron accessed by Kylo Ren," Snoke said, beckoning Tengil forward.

The most elite Knight approached his master's throne, holding the Holocron in one hand. Tengil placed the Holocron into the hand that Snoke had extended.

Caressing the device with reverence, Snoke murmured, "The secrets of Lord Sidious, the most powerful Sith of all time. He who brought the end of the old Jedi Order through sheer brilliance. He who used the Chosen One himself as a pawn in his magnificent plan of domination.

Snoke was almost entranced by the dark object as he continued his speech.

"Yes, he, known as Palpatine to all, including myself. I was once a Jedi, during the age of the Republic, before I saw the true path to greatness. The path carved by none other than Lord Sidious. Now, it is mine."

Snoke laughed sadistically as he held the Holocron in the palm of his hand. Kylo squirmed in his restraints, still weakened by the surprise attack.

If he could just get the Holocron from Snoke...

Finn continued to blast down TIE Fighters as he aimed the _Falcon_'s front cannons at the guns below the _Finalizer._

"Still no sign of Snoke," he said into the radio.

"Looks like we're going to have to improvise," Poe replied from his fighter, "If we can't get to Snoke, then we can at least take out as much of this fleet as possible."

"I like that," Finn replied. Suddenly, the _Falcon's _control panel indicated a strange transmission coming from a nearby craft.

"What the..." Finn wondered aloud, accessing the channel.

"_Millennium Falcon," _said a voice that immediately caused Finn's body to tremble with rage, "This is General Hux. Am I coming in clear?"

"As clear as the filth all over you, Hux," Finn replied scathingly, "You're not actually trying to surrender, are you? Gone a little soft?"

Hux chuckled mirthlessly at the traitor's smart-aleck atttitude.

"FN2187, I see your lack of respect has not gone away," he said through the communciation, "But no, your delusional hopes are not to be rewarded. However, I do have a proposition for you, one that will ensure your best chance for survival."

"Not interested in anything you have to say, Hux," Finn replied, "Get ready to become stardust."

As Finn reached to terminate the communication, Hux interjected, "Don't you want to know where Rey is?"

At the sound of her name, Finn's hand halted mid-motion and he froze, nearly causing the _Falcon_'s side to get blasted by an incoming TIE.

"Ah, is that hesitation I detect?" Hux taunted viciously, "If you accept my offer, I will take you to Snoke's location. He has found your precious little friend Rey, and I know where he is."

"What is it you want?" Finn asked. He knew that Hux was very likely lying in order to bait him. But it added up. Snoke had been hunting Rey all these years, and suddenly he and his ship were missing.

Finn switched channels and said to Poe, "Hey buddy, Hux just sent me a message saying he knows where Snoke is. He said he can take us to him if we accept his offer."

"Nope!" Poe replied, hovering over the hull of a nearby Star Destroyer, "He's tricked us before, and we're not letting it happen again."

"No, this is different," Finn replied, "he says that Snoke's after Rey, and he can take us to them both."

"Rey," Luke said quietly, having been tuned in to the exchange.

After being separated from her nearly half her life, Luke had found and lost her due to his own foolishness. Now, there was a chance to get her back, and accomplish the Resistance's end goal in the process.

"You're the leader, Poe," Finn said, "All comes down to your decision."

Poe had been afraid of this. He knew better than to take any bait offered by Hux, he'd dealt with the man far too long.

But they were no closer to Snoke's ship than they had been back on Corellia, and Hux of all people would be able to take them there if he was willing.

"Master Skywalker?" Poe asked Luke through the radio of his X-Wing Fighter.

By this time, Luke had at least thirty TIE Fighters on his tail. He allowed them to collide into one another with his flying pattern as he responded, "You heard the kid, Colonel. Not my place to decide. I'm just the Jedi, you're the leader.

Poe sighed in agony as he took his frustration out on the TIE Fighter pilot hovering below him. They were at a stalemate now, he knew, and it had to be broken somehow.

In a fit of rage, Snoke angrily pounded the Sith Holocron against the arm of his throne.

"Why won't this work for me?" he seethed, "Kylo Ren! You activated this Holocron, and felt the power of Sidious! What secret do you carry that allowed you to do such a thing?"

Kylo enjoyed having this power over his former master. Snoke depended on him, for once.

"He only answers to me," Kylo replied defiantly, "You are useless to Darth Sidious."

"Enough!"

Snoke made a fist with his old, muscular fingers and lifted the bound Kylo into the air.

He used the Force to pull Kylo to him, suspending him in the air.

"If I cannot access the knowledge in here myself, you will do it for me. Until you do so, you will know nothing but pain."

Kylo gazed down at the Holocron, reaching out again with the Force. All the hatred, rage, and aggression inside him, he was bringing it to the surface once more.

The Holocron began to glow, and small specks of red smoke emitted from it.

Kylo's lightsaber suddenly flew from the hand of Melehan towards him. At the same time, he used the Force to undo the shackles binding him, gripping the cross hilt in his hands.

Once again, the energy of Sidious flowed through Kylo as his presence filled the throne room.

The Knights of Ren raised their weapons and advanced.

Tengil charged first, brandishing his lightsaber dangerously.

Kylo stood with his own blade at the ready, channeling the skill of Darth Sidious as he made the first move.

His blade cut clean into Tengil's torso. The dark Knight staggered backwards in shock as he glanced down at the deep wound in his midsection.

Kylo slashed at him again as Tengil raised his lightsaber to push back.

Kylo's blade met his, and Tengil staggered to the side due to the pain of his mortal injury.

Kylo took advantage of his position and jabbed his lightsaber clean through Tengil, who dropped dead to the floor.

Kylo moved to seize the dead man's lightsaber, but Snoke had beaten him to it, summoning Tengil's weapon into his own hand using the Force.

The remaining Knights circled around Kylo, who pivoted and raised both hands, seizing them all with the Force. Sending a powerful wave, Kylo knocked the Knights of Ren into the wall, immediately rendering all ten of them out of commission.

Kylo turend to the Supreme Leader as Snoke advanced with the red lightsaber he had taken from the fallen Tengil.

The two dark side warriors clashed blades as their footwork carried them around the throne room.

"You're afraid of me, old man," Kylo snarled, "You know that I'm stronger than you now."

Snoke growled menacingly, trying and failing to escape from Kylo's offense.

"I fear nothing, boy," he replied, "It is you who are afraid. Afraid of being alone. Afraid of your own destiny."

Kylo raised a leg and sent his knee into Snoke's chest. Despite his strong body, Snoke was taken aback by the blow and hunched over slightly, gasping.

Kylo drove an elbow into Snoke's cheek, causing the Supreme Leader's body to jerk sideways.

Snoke came back with a vicious saber attack, forcing Kylo to jump quickly to avoid being bisected.

As he came back to the ground, Kylo extended a hand, unleashing a torrent of lightning at Snoke, who saw it and reacted by holding up his blade to deflect the attack.

Kylo increased the intensity of his lightning, sending more of the crackling energy at Snoke.

Snoke retreated from the attack, leaping across the room and landing back atop his throne.

With a predatory roar, Snoke hurled a bolt of dark energy of his own towards Kylo, who rolled to avoid it as it scorched the metal floor.

Snoke redirected the blue-and-violet energy at his moving target.

Kylo raised both hands, clenching his lightsaber on his right one, and hurled another burst of his own.

The two jets of lightning met in midair as Snoke and Kylo both refused to relent.

"You cannot keep this up forever," Snoke sneered as he concentrated vigorously on repelling the crackling web bound for him.

Kylo was not even close to wearing down. The more energy he expended, the more he produced.

He spread both his arms to the side, sending the massive jets of lightning into the walls, which then caught fire as Kylo leapt at Snoke in a frenzy, shouting.

Snoke had his lightsaber poised for defense, but even now, he was not expecting the level of fury from his former student.

The force of Kylo's lightsaber attack sent Snoke tumbling off of his throne.

Kylo jumped after him, striking again and again.

Snoke tried to break away, but one wrong move meant instant death. The advantage now belonged to Kylo.

Snoke's eyes and mouth widened in genuine fear as he realized how badly he'd underestimated Kylo Ren.

Sidious had deemed him alone worthy of taking his knowledge, and Kylo would use it to destroy Snoke.

Kylo pressed his advantage, bringing every ounce of hatred that he carried towards Snoke into his attack.

The Supreme Leader would not last much longer.

Panting, Snoke stopped in his tracks as he struggled to keep up with his fellow duelist.

He held up his red lightsaber in a defensive position as Kylo sliced the hilt in two.

Gripping his own weapon in one hand, Kylo grabbed the half of Snoke's broken lightsaber with the blade.

He held both red bars of plasma energy now, one in each hand. Snoke's head was caught in the cross of lightsabers, trapped.

Kylo stared his former master dead in the eye, taking a brief fraction of a second to savor the victory. Then, closing his eyes, Kylo uncrossed the lightsabers and heard the sound of Snoke's severed head hitting the floor.

The rest of his body followed a second later. Kylo opened his eyes to find himself standing over the dead Supreme Leader.

The crossfire between the Resistance and First Order fleets had abruptly halted as the _Millennium Falcon _flew onto the main hangar of the Star Destroyer _Finalizer._

Two dozen black-and-white armored soldiers stood waiting for Finn, Poe, Connix and Ackbar as they exited, along with a small squadron of Resistance troopers.

On second nature, the armored men raised their weapons to fire, but Hux came up from behind them and said, "Withdraw."

"Remember," Poe said to their enemy, "If you try anything on us, we have Luke Skywalker hidden on here, and he is going to make all of you regret it."

"I have no intention of violating the terms of our agreement," Hux said solemnly, "Right this way."

Retaining the weapons in their hands, Ackbar, Finn, Poe, Connix, and the Resistance foot soldiers followed the First Order escort from the hangar.

Hux remained behind for a moment, beckoning to a passing patrol officer.

"Search their ship for Skywalker, and alert me at once."

The helmeted man nodded and disappeared up the ramp of the _Millennium Falcon._

If Hux had stuck around longer, he would have heard a soft Wookiee growl and the sound of a man's arms being torn out of their sockets.

As the _Finalizer _diverged away from the fleet, a single remaining X-Wing remained in the upside down position, latched to the bottom of the Star Destroyer's hull.

"Yes, Artoo, I know what I'm doing," Luke said to his old friend and companion, "Yes, this is part of the plan to win the war."

"And find Rey," he added in a softer tone.

Captain Peavey regarded the Resistance delegation with surprise as Hux and his squadron led them into the command station.

"This is the delegation from the Resistance per the terms decided by myself, Colonel Dameron, and FN2187," Hux explained to his lieutenant, "Now listen carefully, there's no time to discuss this. The Supreme Leader's ship has been infiltrated by the traitor Kylo Ren. He has ordered us to destroy his ship, and given me access to the secret codes to deactivate its deflector shield. There is no time to waste. The future of our First Order is at stake. Do you understand?"

Peavey looked wildly between Hux and the odd assortment of outsiders in his company. He suspected that the general's sanity had finally cracked, but he knew that acting against Hux's orders would be detrimental to his own livelihood.

"I understand, General," Peavey replied.

The Resistance party waited in the guest quarters into which Hux had shown them, and were seated around a table. The accompanying Resistance guards stood behind them protectively, ready to fire on anybody who threatened them.

"This was a mistake," Major Connix said as she looked around the black, barren walls anxiously, "We're not getting off of here alive."

"This is a trap," Ackbar chimed in.

"Luke should be on board this Dreadnought at any minute," Poe told them, "if Hux double-crosses us, he's a dead man. Besides, we got Finn and his laser-sword to protect us."

Finn half-heartedly smiled as his hand touched the silver hilt on his belt, but his thoughts were now on Rey.

Knowing that look on his friend's face, Poe leaned in closer to him and said, "She'll be all right. Rey's as tough as they come."

"Let's just hope Hux actually takes us to her," Finn replied, "Do we even know why he's doing this?"

"No doubt General Hux has an agenda of his own," Ackbar replied, "the best we can do now that we're here is follow along for our own purposes and hope for the best."

It was finished. Snoke was finally dead, and effectively, so was the First Order.

"You did it, Ben," said a voice behind Kylo.

He turned to find Sidious's ghost having once again sprouted from the Holocron on Snoke's throne inside which he rested. "My knowledge guided you to the ultimate victory."

"It's done then," Kylo said, throwing the broken lightsaber down a nearby power generator and turning off his own. "The First Order is no more. Time to end it all now."

"That is correct," Sidious replied, "Now you are the ruler of the galaxy."

"No," Kylo said, shaking his head, "That wasn't the plan. The galaxy is free now."

"Free?" Sidious questioned, "Free for Skywalker to continue spreading his Jedi dogma? Think about it, without you to keep a firm hand, what will become of the galaxy, besides falling into disorder?"

Kylo panted heavily as he walked across the floor of the throne room, deep in thought.

"I promised Rey," he said to the ghost hovering next to him, "I promised her that we would only use the dark side for the greater good. And now, now we've won. Now it's over."

"You mean it is over until the next threat comes along," Sidious said urgently, "The galaxy needs you to be a leader, Ben. Are you going to shrink away from your duty now?"

Kylo hesitated, glancing at the throne from which he had toppled Supreme Leader Snoke. He looked back down at Snoke's decaptitated corpse, then at Sidious.

"You've taken me this far, Emperor," Kylo replied, "I have no reason to doubt you now."

"Good, good," Sidious replied, "And I shall continue to guide you to the best that I am able."

The Knights of Ren had risen and re-entered the throne room, freezing as they saw their master lying beheaded on the floor.

"You killed the Supreme Leader," Melehan said, raising his vibroblade.

"No," Kylo replied, his confidence having come all the way back, "I am the Supreme Leader now."

The Knights raced at Kylo one at a time, Zorri Bliss, Melehan and Onding leading the charge.

As Onding advanced on Kylo, he grabbed his fellow dark-sider and flung him across the room with strength that he had not consciously summoned.

Onding landed on an electrical power source and crumpled dead as the electricity tore through his organs.

Kylo backed away, swinging his lightsaber back and forth as a challenge

"Anybody else?" he asked them, "or do you accept me as your new master?"

The Knights halted in their tracks.

Zorri Bliss was the first to kneel to Kylo, followed by Melehan and the rest of the surviving Knights of Ren.

"You are our leader now," they said.

Kylo switched off his cross-shaped weapon and sat down on his throne of power, Sidious hovering at his side.

As the Knights of Ren continued to kneel, Sidious's ghostly form extended a smoky arm.

Throughout the room, many additional Sith Troopers materialized through electrical surges emitted from Sidious's spirit.

Kylo watched in disbelief as the red-armored men held up their blasters in salute and stood facing him.

"My army is yours to command."


	7. Chapter VII

As she saw flashes and visions of her past, Rey remained unaware that she was still alive. Nothing outside of her unconscious self mattered, just the visions she was having, no, that the Force was sending her.

The much younger Luke Skywalker sat on the steps of his Jedi academy on Ossus, cradling a baby girl in his arms.

His beard was shorter and neater, and there was no gray visible in his dirty blond hair. He still had the happy, peaceful air of his youth, before life handed him the worst it had to offer.

Next, Rey saw herself as a little girl, even younger than she had been when she'd arrived on Jakku

She was walking through the Ossus forest, hand in hand with a Luke Skywalker.

"Where are we going, Daddy?"

"I'm going to show you how to make your own lightsaber," Luke replied, "Soon, you're going to be a Jedi just like your old man."

"Why is cousin Benny sad all the time, Daddy?"

"That's nothing for you to worry about, Rey," Luke replied seriously, before assuming a sillier demeanor, "All you need to worry about is catching up to me."

And he started playfully running through the forest, prompting the laughing Rey to chase him, full of the blissful innocence of childhood.

The scene changed, to reveal the courtyard adjacent to the Academy.

Rey was slightly older, maybe seven or eight.

Many other young trainees were standing outside the Jedi Academy, wielding their new lightsabers.

Next to the young Rey was the shimmering blue Force ghost of Obi-Wan Kenobi.

"Look at me, Obi!" Rey exclaimed, proudly waving her blade as she wandered the courtyard of Luke's academy.

In the background, Master Yoda's spirit could be seen instructing Rey's fellow pupils, while Luke stood in the distance talking to a third Force ghost behind a tree.

Rey couldn't tell whose image that Luke was talking to, but she could make out the shining blue aura like Obi-Wan and Yoda's.

"Very good Rey," the old, white-bearded Obi-Wan complimented her, "These are your first steps into a world of knowledge."

Rey waved the lightsaber, excited to be using it. In her giddiness, the small girl tripped and fell on her stomach.

"Careful now," Obi-Wan chided her lightly, "Remember that you wield a tool full of great power."

The young Rey continued to brandish her weapon as she climbed back up off the ground, waving it with more caution.

"Feel the energy flowing through you," Obi-Wan said, "Remember that the Force will be there to guide you even in your darkest hour."

Rey now saw the Council chamber of Luke's Academy. Young Ben Solo was speaking to a council of ten Jedi Masters, including Snoke and Luke Skywalker himself.

"But why?" Ben protested, "It's not fair!"

"I'm sorry, Ben," Luke told him sympathetically, "I'm sending you away from your own safety. It's clear that you are being influenced by a terrible darkness, and I don't want you to be a danger."

With a roar of anger, Ben ignited the blue Skywalker lightsaber and charged at his uncle.

All the Masters activated their blades as Ben took an enraged swipe at Luke, who quickly dodged the attack.

Ben lunged towards his uncle again, forcing Luke to repel his blade.

His green lightsaber easily penetrated Ben's attack, far more easily than Luke had intended. The plasma energy tore into Ben's chest, causing him to drop to the floor.

"No, Ben!" Luke cried, horrified at what had just happened.

A short time later, the Jedi Master Snoke had carried Ben outside of the Temple, gently setting his mortally wounded body on the ground.

He placed his hand over the hole in Ben's chest and slowly used the Force to heal the boy.

Ben Solo donned the robes and helmet of Kylo Ren, wielding his red cross-bladed lightsaber. It was a grim, raining night on Ossus as the Knights of Ren entered the temple.

Snoke led a batallion of First Order stormtroopers forward as the Knights of Ren were met by the Jedi Masters, determined to defend their students to the death.

And now, Luke was alone outside the burning temple, with only Artoo for company. The Skywalker heir wept as he surveyed the damage, hardly daring to look at the dead bodies scattered as far as the eye could see.

He took the sobbing Rey into his arms and held her close, whispering soothingly.

"Daddy, where's Mommy?"

It was a bright, hot day in the Jakku desert when Luke landed with little Rey.

Greeting Unkar Plutt, Luke asked him, "Do you know where to find Lor San Tekka?"

"Ah, a reclusive man, Lor San Tekka," Plutt commented, "I can take the girl to him. He's a friend of mine.

Luke knelt beside young Rey and said something inaudible.

As his ship took off out of sight, Rey cried out, "No, come back!"

"Quiet girl," Unkar Plutt snapped, grabbing her hand.

"Where are you taking me?" asked the tearful girl.

"There's a market for little ones like you," Plutt replied.

Rey gave the stubby alien a kick, forcing him to let go of her.

"Hey, come back here!" Plutt shouted as he chased after the fleeing girl.

The lightsaber, in Maz Kanata's chest.

The Skywalker lightsaber, held in Darth Vader's gloved hands after he retrieved it from the gas giant Bespin, his breathing ringing out in Rey's mind.

There it was again, held once more by Luke after he found it following the death of his father.

Luke handed it to his young nephew Ben, who admired it with enthusiasm.

Luke found it among the flaming wreckage of his Temple, and tearfully knelt to pick it up in the rain.

Luke stood in front of Maz's castle, silently handing her the lightsaber, until the time was right for the next Skywalker to take it.

Rey jolted awake with a gasp and sat up.

Looking around, Rey found herself in a dark, stone room in a cot, with a blanket over her. A tray with hot soup was sitting next to her bedside.

Rey's first thought was that she was still on Moraband in Sidious's temple, but no, all of the evil and darkness that had haunted the place was gone now.

This was Takodana again, Rey realized, in Maz Kanata's castle.

Apparently it had been rebuilt after the First Order attacked it in search of the droid BB8 and the map to Luke Skywalker.

Luke. Rey's father. She almost had been able to deny it after Sidious had told her but now, in her dream, that was an unmistakable fact.

Luke, her Jedi mentor who had left her on Jakku, who had trained her after she'd found him on an island, who she had angrily dismissed on Mustafar after the battle in Snoke's palace.

Luke Skywalker, the myth. The legend. He was Rey's _father._

The short, goggle-wearing Maz Kanata entered Rey's room through the old-fashioned doorway.

"Glad to see you awake," she commented, "You'd best eat the soup before it gets cold."

"How did you find me?" Rey asked her before taking a spoonful. She had so much else that she wanted to ask the old alien, but beyond the obvious, words failed her.

"The Force guided me to you," Maz replied serenely, "the Force and an old friend."

"Kylo, the Knights of Ren, the Emperor..."

"None of that matters now, Rey," Maz replied, "What matters is that you recover, so that you are healthy when you rejoin the fight."

Rey processed this in her mind, especially the part about rejoining the fight. What did that mean anymore, she asked herself. She was certainly not going to rejoin Kylo Ren.

She had been away from the Resistance for so long. Not to mention Finn, who she'd never gotten to tell that she loved him back.

"Your friends are all right," Maz told her, reading her mind instantly, "especially Finn. Yes, I remember him well, when you both came here with Han Solo. His heart was with you then, as it is now."

Rey took this in, trying to reach out with the Force. She sensed that Finn was all right, but she could tell that he was worried about her.

She closed her eyes, trying to tell him with the Force that she was all right.

She sensed him replying to her message, and felt the love that he held for her, that he had held since they'd escaped Jakku together on the _Falcon._

"Rey," Finn said from the guest quarters of the _Finalizer_.

"What?" Poe asked him.

"I felt her just now!"

"Do you know where she is?" Poe asked.

"No, but I know she's okay," Finn replied, "the First Order didn't get to her yet."

Rey's attention returned to Maz Kanata as the old alien held the bowl of soup to Rey's lap.

"Eat up," Maz encouraged.

Rey ate some more of the soup, then studied Maz some more. This old pirate knew many secrets, intimate secrets concerning Rey.

"My lightsaber..." Rey began.

"Oh, yes, I was able to save it for you," Maz said,squatting and pulling it out from underneath Rey's cot.

"I originally found it here, in a chest," Rey said, "It belonged to Luke Skywalker, and his father Anakin before him. How did you get it."

Maz looked down regretfully, then paced the small quarters as she spoke.

"I hoped to avoid telling you, given how painful as it is to give you such distressing information, but now I see that I cannot."

Rey listened intently as Maz spoke.

"Luke Skywalker gave me the lightsaber himself. He knew me as a friend of Han Solo, and he knew that I had been a Jedi centuries ago, before I left the Order. He had found it among his father's possessions after Anakin's death. I believe Vader acquired the weapon after the duel on Cloud City.

"Luke asked me to hold on to it until the time was right for his..." Maz paused, knowing she was about to reveal the truth, and remaining extremely reluctant to do so. "His..."

"His daughter," Rey finished for her.

Maz looked up at Rey, removing her goggles and gazing at her with her old, sagely eyes.

"You know?" Maz asked her.

"Sidious told me, on Moraband. It all makes sense now, why my father wanted to keep me away from it all."

Kylo Ren walked into the control station of the _Supremacy, _flanked by Melehan and Zorri Bliss.

Bodies of First Order stormtroopers and officers were littered throughout the corridors, having been slaughtered by the Knights of Ren and the Sith Troopers produced by Darth Sidious.

"What are your orders, Supreme Leader?" Melehan asked.

"We're going to destroy this planet, so that nobody else can find it," Kylo replied, "Nobody else can ever challenge us."

To the Sith Troopers operating the _Supremacy's _primary laser cannon, Kylo said, "Prepare to fire on the planet. There can be no survivors."

"Right away, Supreme Leader," the Sith Trooper replied.

"Activating laser cannon, .005 to target."

Kylo glared savagely through the viewing screen at the ancient Sith planet. Millenniums of knowledge and history would be vanquished in an instant. No rival would dare oppose him now.

"Blow it to a crisp."

The giant cannon atop the _Supremacy _turned towards the planet Moraband, apparently sitting so vulnerably in orbit of its star.

The blue laser jet sprouted out the _Supremacy's _cannon, and shot directly at the planet.

Within seconds, the entire world, including all of its temples, libraries, gravesites, and spirits, were destroyed. The planet crumbled into atoms as Kylo's fists clenched with power. He had everything he needed right up here on the _Supremacy._

Inside his throne room, Kylo conferred with Darth Sidious's spirit while perched on his throne of power.

"It's done, Emperor Sidious. Moraband is no more."

"And now, nobody can follow you and become a rival," Sidious replied, "that is... nobody except Skywalker."

"He is my next target," Kylo replied determinedly, "My Knights and I will not stop until the last Jedi is no more."

Rey followed Maz downstairs into the cantina. It looked much the same as she remembered it, although with much fewer patrons.

"There was a messy brawl in here recently," Maz informed her, "Nastly gambling incident. Was not pleasant to have to clean up."

"What's next?" Rey asked, entirely unsure of what to do now that she was alone.

Maz looked up at Rey and clutched her arm, holding up the Skywalker lightsaber to her.

"This is yours by right, Rey," she said, "The time will soon come when you will have to go back to your friends."

"My friends..." Rey muttered, before coming to her senses with a rush of feeliny, "It's been so long. I left them for Kylo Ren, they must think I abandoned them. Especially Finn! Where do I even begin?"

"They are anxious to know if you are all right," Maz replied, "they will not be angry. More importantly, you must not be angry with yourself."

The mention of Rey's anger brought her mind somewhere new.

"But...Luke Skywalker." Even now, after knowing the truth, Rey could not bring herself to refer to her father as such. It was too surreal, a legendary man whom she had thought to be a myth, having fathered her and raised her, and then having been so detatched from her on Ahch To.

"I understand your anger towards him," Maz replied solemnly, "You do not have to forgive him just yet. But you should put aside your resentment for now, Rey. What's at stake is far bigger than you or your father. The First Order will hunt you down without relent now that your bloodline has been revealed."

Rey nodded, realizing exactly how big of a target she had on her back. Now that Kylo knew who her father was, now that he knew of their own family ties, he would certainly go after her along with the Knights of Ren.

"Kylo Ren has the Emperor on his side," Rey said, "He's only getting more powerful and they both need to be stopped

"You cannot do this alone, Rey," Maz said emphatically, climbing behind the counter of the bar, "You need your friends. You need the Resistance."

Rey's thoughts turned to the war that she had been away from for so long. She thought of everything she had committed herself to long ago, after meeting Finn and Han Solo and Chewbacca, after escaping Starkiller Base, after embarking to find the last Jedi.

"I'm ready to rejoin the fight," she said confidently.

Escored by four shadowtroopers, Hux entered the guest quarters, where the Resistance party was seated around the table.

"We have just entered the Moraband system," he told them, "This Star Destroyer is preparing to go to war against the _Supremacy."_

"Wait, how do we know Rey isn't on it?" Poe asked testily.

"She isn't," Finn replied calmly, "I can feel it."

Hux scoffed derisively. The sooner all Force-users were wiped out forever, the better.

"Soon, Kylo Ren will be dead, and your little girlfriend will be out of harm's way," he told them.

"General," said the voice of Captain Peavey on Hux's comlink, "We are coming up on the _Supremacy _now. It looks like the entire planet of Moraband has been destroyed."

"No matter," Hux replied, although he could not help but reveal the smallest hint of fear at such a powerful battleship. He had designed the Dreadnought himself, ironically, but now he was going up against it.

"I have sabotaged the _Supremacy_'s interior deflector shield. It is as destructible as any Star Destroyer, and they will not be expecting our attack."

Chewbacca waited aboard the _Millennium Falcon _as five more stormtroopers came bursting in, blasters raised.

Taking care to keep hidden and quiet, Chewbacca grabbed one stormtrooper and threw him into all the rest.

Once they were all unconsious, Chewie opened up the old smuggling compartments built into the floor of the _Falcon _and dumped the bodies inside.

"Supreme Leader Ren," a Sith Trooper said, approaching Kylo, Zorri Bliss and Melehan, "We're picking up on a Dreadnought Star Destroyer approaching."

Kylo rushed onto the command bridge and peered out into space, where he recognized the _Finalizer _approaching. He sensed a familiar, hated presence aboard.

"Skywalker," he said with clenched teeth, "but what is he doing there? That's General Hux's Star Destroyer."

General Hux stepped back into the _Finalizer's _control room when a towering hologram appeared before him, the image of the scowling Kylo Ren.

Hux noticed that Kylo looked different than he had during their last meeting. His eyes, they had changed to make him appear almost...possessed.

"Kylo Ren," Hux said, "What a surprise."

"I know Luke Skywalker is somewhere on your vessel," Kylo growled, "I want him now, or I will destroy your ship. I have already destroyed your Master Snoke and the Sith planet Moraband. Don't try and challenge me."

Hux restrained a devious smile. Kylo Ren had done half of his job for him already.

"Of course, Supreme Leader Ren," Hux replied neutrally, "I'll send Skywalker and the other Resistance prisoners right your way."

"You'd better," Kylo seethed, before terminating the communication.

Hux said to Captain Peavey, "Send a decoy shuttle to the _Supremacy. _We need Ren to think Skywalker is on it."

Hux then reached for his comlink and said, "Special forces, accompany me back to the Resistance's quarters. All other units, search for Skywalker and eliminate him."

The Shadowtroopers appeared behind Hux and marched after him back toward the guest quarters.

"Something's not right," Connix said, "Why isn't anything happening."

"She's right," Ackbar replied, "We're sitting ducks."

"Luke's here somewhere," Poe replied, "He's not going to let Hux do anything to us."

Connix got up and walked over to the window, where an Imperial shuttle was flying from the hangar and heading towards the _Supremacy._

_"_Something's definitely going on," she said worriedly, "There has to be a catch."

Aboard his new Dreadnought, Kylo Ren watched as Hux's shuttle departed from the _Finalizer _and flew towards the captial ship.

He had no idea how the foolish general had managed to capture Skywalker, and he didn't much care. He sensed that Skywalker was there, and soon Kylo would have him. And then he would finally make sure his uncle was dead.

Finn stood up, grasping his lightsaber as he prepared to ignite it.

"I sense something's wrong," he said, "Hux is up to something."

At that moment, Hux entered the room, followed by his elite shadowtroopers.

"What's going on?" Finn demanded as he pointed the lightsaber hilt in Hux's direction, "Why aren't we attacking Ren's ship?"

"I have a surprise attack planned," Hux replied confidently, gesturing to the shuttle approaching the _Supremacy_, "Ren will never know what hit him."

Kylo's eager anticipation turned into suspicion as the First Order shuttle hovered over the mouth of the hangar and flew straight upward.

"What does he think he's doing?" he hissed.

The shuttle picked up speed, flying directly towards the _Supremacy's _primary laser.

Little did Kylo know that Hux's decoy shuttle was loaded with detonators. As soon as the speeding shuttle made contact with the laser gun, the structure was rocked by an explosion, causing alarms to blare throughout Kylo's Star Destroyer.

Sith Troopers passing by rushed to their stations as Kylo ignited his blade out of sheer anger.

"We've been betrayed!" he shouted to his fellow Knights as he raced out of the trembling hangar.

Before the _Supremacy's _crew could retaliate, the _Finalizer_ was attacking it with blast after blast, releasing swarms of TIE Fighters as Kylo rushed to the command deck.

How could Kylo have been so idiotic as to believe that Hux was handing him Luke Skywalker. Yet he knew his uncle was there. He would have to storm onto the _Finalizer _and destroy the man himself.


	8. Chapter VIII

The bottom cannons of Kylo's _Supremacy _fired back as much as possible as Hux's TIE Bombers launched everything they had at the ship that had once belonged to Snoke. Despite the larger size of the _Supremacy_, it was at a clear disadvantage due to being taken by surprise.

"There, you see?" Hux said to the Resistance boarding party, "Kylo Ren has nowhere to run. Soon he and his army will be dead, and the hunt for your precious Rey will cease."

"This had better pay off," Major Connix said sharply as the _Supremacy_ tore through the attacking TIES.

The giant Star Destroyer had caught fire as a result of the detonators launched at it.

Amid the blaring alarms, Kylo stormed into his throne room, where the red Sith Holocron and the spirit of Darth Sidious were waiting.

"Ah, Supreme Leader," Sidious acknowledged casually, as if the ship was in no danger from destruction. "What is our situation?"

"We're under heavy fire from another Star Destroyer," Kylo said to his advisor, "Luke Skywalker is nearby. I have to find him and kill him."

He picked up the Holocron and raced out towards the small hangar where his TIE Silencer was docked.

"As you can see, I have upheld my end of the bargain," Hux said to the delegates as the _Supremacy _took increasing damage, "come see as we finish off what's left of the Supreme Leader's rule."

Cautiously, Poe, Finn, Connix and Ackbar approached the window as the First Order fleet engaged in battle amongst itself.

Finn sensed what was coming as Hux gestured to the shadow troopers.

They opened fire at the exact moment Hux shouted, "Execute!"

Finn activated his lightsaber's blue blades, deflecting the blaster shots with a single swipe.

Poe, Ackbar and Connix drew their blasters as the Resistance guards were shot down, taken by surprise. More First Order soldiers came into the room, firing as Finn continued to draw their fire with his lightsaber.

"Get down!" he shouted.

Poe dove under the table as he shot at the boots of the incoming troopers. Connix and Ackbar followed, shooting in as many directions as possible.

Hux began to run out of the room, but he stopped dead in his tracks as the door opened and the green glow of a plasma laser blade appeared in front of his face.

"Where do you think you're going, kid?" Luke Skywalker said calmly as he forced Hux back into the guest quarters.

Rey took a sip from the drink given to her by Maz as she sat in front of the bar.

"I've called for transport to deliver you safely out of here," Maz explained, "I'm confident that my contact can keep you safely away from the eye of the First Order."

"I don't even know where to go," Rey replied, "I've been away from them for so long...they could be anywhere in the galaxy."

"You'll find them again in good time," Maz promised her, "For now, you need to keep yourself out of danger. Even here, in my sanctuary, I cannot keep you safe from every danger out there. I have contacted the best man possible to transport you away."

Across the bar, next to the band playing music, the Trandoshan Bossk whispered into a comlink.

"Yes, that's the girl whose head the First Order put a bounty on." He mysteriously walked out a back entrance and disappeared.

Putting her goggles back over her wizened eyes, Maz gazed outside the entrance of her castle to the nearby landing platform.

"My ally should be here any moment," she said, beckoning Rey towards the exit that led into the lush, peaceful jungle over the side of the lake.

Rey hesitated, then followed Maz.

"Are you sure this man is trustworthy?" Rey asked her skeptically, "Are you sure he won't try and turn me in for money?"

"He's more respectable than that," Maz replied with a slightly mischievous air, "This man is far beyond the life of dealing to the highest bidder."

They walked along the stone pathway leading to the small landing platform where long ago, Han and Chewbacca had delivered Rey, Finn and BB8 onto Takodana.

Rey could see Han now, no, her Uncle Han, talking to her outside the _Falcon, _offering her a job. Along with Finn, Han had been among the first people she'd considered a friend. Even like a father, despite the brief time she'd known him.

She remembered being back on Starkiller Base, watching Kylo plunge his blade though Han's chest. How heartbroken Han must have been, the last thing he'd seen being his son, staring coldly at him, spitting his father's attempt to redeem him in his face.

Maz took Rey out of her thoughts by pointing up into the sky and saying, "There he is now."

Rey gazed up into the peaceful Takodana horizon to see a Personal Luxury Yacht descending towards the landing platform.

"The _Lady Luck," _Maz informed Rey, "Finest and most expensive Yacht there is. Won in a difficult and dangerous game."

The sleek shuttle docked on the landing platform, releasing exhaust.

Rey looked anxiously at the ship, then glanced down at Maz.

"Are you sure this man is trustworthy?" she asked.

"As trustworthy as any man alive that I know," Maz replied as the _Lady Luck's _ramp came down, and a silhouette appeared. The caped figure hobbled down onto the landing pad to reveal an elderly, dark-skinned, mustachioed gentleman.

"Well hello," Maz said to the man, "Aren't you glad to have an excuse to come visit me now?"

"Maz Katana," the old man said with a light chuckle, "It's been too long. And this must be Rey." He held out a hand for Rey to shake.

Rey smiled nervously and said, "Hello." She took the man'a extended hand and tentatively shook it.

To Rey's surprise, the old man took her hand and gently kissed it. "Lando Calrissian, at your service," he said smoothly.

Rey could not help but blush as Maz chuckled light-heartedly.

The Resistance party marched down the _Finalizer _corridor, with Hux walking in between Luke and Poe, who kept his blaster trained on Hux's back.

Stormtrooper after stormtrooper was firing into the _Millennium Falcon_, only to get blasted away by Chewbacca's bowcaster. The ship's cannons were raging as well, blasting at anythiny in sight.

The First Order personnel stopped as they saw the delegates enter the hangar with their captive general.

Luke waved his lightsaber warningly. "Easy. Nobody else has to get hurt."

Poe had a different method of persuasion. "Anybody try anything funny and Hux gets it!"

"Do you ever tire of your witless banter?" Hux scoffed.

"Got nothing better to do," Poe replied as he walked behind their hostage.

Suddenly, the floor of the _Finalizer_'s hangar was struck by the guns of a specialized TIE Fighter, shooting down the surrounding ships as they tried to repel it.

Luke gazed out at the fighter with dread as the surrounding stormtroopers trained their weapons on it.

"I got a bad feeling about this," he groaned as the _TIE Silencer _swerved around the other fighters.

"Is that who I think it is?" Finn asked, drawing his blue lightsaber.

"It was inevitable that he would find us," Luke said.

Finn seethed with anger, remembering how Rey had gone away with Kylo Ren after the battle in Snoke's palace on Mustafar, how she'd left him for that deceitful, murderous snake after he'd told her how much he loved her.

Kylo's Silencer flew into the mouth of the _Finalizer's _hangar, blasting the ships and the squads of First Order troopers nearby, blowing them across the room.

Poe, Connix and Ackbar raised their blasters and pointed them at Kylo's ship as Chewbacca raced out of the _Falcon _to join them.

Chewie fired a shot at the wing of Kylo's fighter, causing it to turn sideways. Kylo fumbled furiously with the controls as his fighter came crash-landing onto the platform.

The new Supreme Leader leapt out of the cockpit as the Silencer skidded to a painful stop.

Luke stepped towards Kylo, blade raised and ready for battle. Kylo stared back at his uncle with a look of emptiness and chilling calculation.

"So, you have brought yourself right to me," Kylo said, "That will make my job much easier."

Kylo was then sent flying far away with a telekinetic shove from Luke.

"Get on the _Falcon_!" Luke shouted to the group as he strode towards the fallen Kylo.

Finn stood rooted to the floor for a moment, looking between his awaiting comrades and Kylo, who was recovering from the pain of being slammed against the distant wall.

"Go with Poe, Finn!" Luke said, "I'll deal with Kylo."

Rey...Kylo knew where Rey was better than anybody. If Finn could just beat him enough to a pulp and get him to talk...

"Let's go," Finn said to Poe, starting to run towards the _Falcon._

_"_Are we going to leave him?" Poe asked.

"He's doing his job so we can do ours...aahhh,"

Finn was grabbed by the neck from behind. Poe fired his blaster, but tripped to the ground as Hux's foot caught him.

By the time Finn and Poe had recovered, Hux had taken off running and disappeared into the corridor.

"Hurry!" Connix yelled as more stormtroopers began to flood into the hangar.

Finn nodded at Poe and wrapped his arms around his middle. Using his Force-enhanced strength, Finn tossed his friend onto the ramp, where Connix and Chewie pulled him up.

Finn then Force-leapt aboard, shutting the ramp behind him.

In the cockpit of the _Falcon, _Threepio said to BB8, "Are you sure this was a good idea?"

As the stormtroopers opened fire, Threepio pulled the lever and launched the _Falcon _out of the hangar.

Not surprisingly, the _Millennium Falcon _was greeted by swarms of TIE Fighters. Finn raced into the ship's gunnery while Poe, Chewbacca and Ackbar joined the droids in the cockpit.

BB8 rushed to his master's feet and whistled frantically as Poe said, "Yeah, I'm happy to be out of there too, BB8, but right now we gotta focus."

"Oh, please take me out of here," Threepio moaned as Chewie took his place in the pilot's chair. Poe sat down next to him and fired the front cannons while Finn and Connix operated the guns in the side and rear of the _Falcon._

_"_How soon can you get us to lightspeed?" Connix shouted down from below the cockpit.

"Hang on!" Poe yelled, "Just got to clear ourselves a pathway!"

"We must regroup with the rest of our fleet," Ackbar said as the crew of the _Falcon _continued to exchange fire with the First Order ships.

"What about Luke?" Poe asked. He remembered the pilots that had died under his command during the First Order's ambush after the Resistance had escaped from their D'Qar base. He didn't want to repeat that mistake.

"Luke knows what he's doing," Finn said with a maturity in his voice that he had never used before, "I want to help him to, but like Admiral Ackbar said, we have to get back to our fleet. Luke can get out of there no problem. He's survived worse."

Luke advanced on his nephew as Kylo climbed to his feet.

There was something different, Luke deduced as he approached, something different and far more sinister to Kylo than their Mustafar encounter.

"We meet again, for the last time, Uncle," Kylo snarled, holding up his three-bladed weapon.

Luke stood in a defensive position as he waited for Kylo to make the first move.

"You've changed," the Jedi Master replied, "I can feel it. Something deep and dark is controlling you."

"I have unlocked powers beyond your dreams, Skywalker," Kylo replied.

He reached into his black cloak and pulled out the small, red Holocron.

Immediately, Luke felt a shiver of dread run through his body.

"No," he said as he sensed the evil presence within the Holocron. It was far worse than he'd feared. "You couldn't have."

Luke had only encountered Emperor Palpatine once, on the Death Star. His father Anakin had returned from the dark side and thrown the Emperor to his death.

Puffs of scarlett-colored smoke emitted from the holocron until the smoke formed the visage of the deformed, yellow-eyes Emperor.

Luke could not help but back away in fear at the sight of his old enemy. Palpatine was back, albiet in spirit form. And he was manipulating Kylo the way he had manipulated Vader. The way he'd tried to manipulate Luke.

Luke waved his lightsaber cautiously as he stared into the face of Palpatine, who cackled wickedly.

"Luke Skywalker. Look how much you've grown," the Emperor taunted, "when last I saw you, you were but a boy, helpless at my mercy."

"My father threw you into a reactor," Luke said, "You're dead."

"The dark side leads to many abilities beyond your comprehension, Skywalker," Palpatine taunted, "As I recall, you once failed to realize your true potential. How sad that it is too late for you now."

"I have now what could have been yours once," Kylo said, "And now, you will pay."

"He's not on your side, Ben," Luke said. Despite everything that his nephew had done, despite everything that Kylo was still willing to do, Luke could not just let him fall under the influence of the most evil Sith Lord of all time.

"He's using you for his own ends."

"Han Solo said the same thing," Kylo replied coldly, "And unlike my grandfather, I did not give in to weakness."

"There's no saving you," Luke realized, his heart sinking, "You're too far gone."

Kylo could not help but falter slightly before immediately regaining his aura of cold fury.

"You escaped from my wrath once, Skywalker, by sheer luck," Emperor Palpatine said, "You will not be so fortunate a second time."

Luke gripped his lightsaber with his flesh hand and reached his robotic hand towards the holocron in Kylo's gloved hand.

As the holocron slipped out of his grasp, Kylo caught it with the Force. Luke tried to pull it towards him, while Kylo resisted.

The two were at a standstill as they both yanked at the airborne Sith Holocron, Palpatine's evil laughter filling the corridor.

"So Lando," Maz said, "as you know, our young friend here needs to get back to her friends at the Resistance."

Lando Calrissian suddenly looked sad and guilty, gazing into the lake.

The name that the newcomer had introduced himself by, as well as his reaction to Maz, caused Rey to make the connection. It all made sense!

"Wait, are you the Lando Calrissian of the old Rebellion?" Rey asked with more marvel than she'd intended. For a moment, she felt like the wide-eyed, adventuresome girl she had been when she'd first met Han Solo, mystified by the old legends coming to life before her. "The one who led the attack on the second Death Star?"

Lando smiled wistfully and replied, "One and the same." To Maz, he said, "She's a smart kid."

"Very much indeed," replied Maz Kanata.

"You were friends with Han Solo?" Rey asked.

Lando replied, "Yeah. I'll tell you everything on the way."

As Rey said goodbye to Maz and followed Lando onto the _Lady Luck_, the bounty hunter Bossk watched them from a distance.

Peering through his macrobinoculars, Bossk switched on his comlink and said, "She's with Calrissian now. They're taking off."

The voice on the other end replied, "We'll be picking up on their tail shortly."

Bossk chuckled as he watched the _Lady Luck _take off, before starting back to his own ship.

The interior of Lando's _Lady Luck _was more than twice the size of the _Millennium Falcon. _

Its corridors were far more luxurious, with a small kitchen, a fresher, and even a dining hall.

"Han may have won the _Falcon _from me fair and square, but I don't think I did too bad with this old girl," Lando said as he showed Rey into the cockpit.

Rey sat down in the soft chair behind Lando's pilot seat. Lando assumed the controls and started the engine.

"So, what happened?" Rey asked as Lando lifted the _Lady Luck_ into Takodana's calm, peaceful sky. "What happened with you and Han Solo? If you don't mind me asking, did you two have a falling out?"

Lando turned his head and grimaced. "Yes and no," he replied, "Han was a great pal long after we defeated the Empire, more than I deserved. I started a mining business when the New Republic took over, went on lots of missions for captial. Oftentimes, I had to resort to smuggling. Old habits die hard, you know?"

Rey frowned, unsure of what to think.

"I always felt that in some way, I was responsible for what went wrong with the Solo family," Lando said, "Especially after..."

He stopped, turning his head away from Rey.

"After their son became evil," Rey finished for him. She had heard far too many variations of this same story. Kylo Ren had hurt so many people, ruined so many lives.

Lando nodded disconsolately. "I could hardly face Leia after Han disappeared. The Rebellion, it gave me a purpose I never knew was possible. That didn't change when it became the New Republic. But I couldn't face Leia after what happened."

"I'm sorry to say this," Rey said, pausing briefly, "but about Han Solo, did you know..."

After all this time, despite the brief time she'd known Han, it was still so hard to talk about aloud.

"Yes," Lando replied grimly, nodding his head, "I heard shortly after the incident on Starkiller Base. I felt bad, Han had stepped up to make the ultimate sacrifice while I was hiding in comfort like a coward."

"It's not too late," Rey told the old man, "If Han and Luke stepped up, so can you."

She'd caught herself speaking positively of her father, Rey realized. Her longstanding anger towards Luke for abandoning her on Jakku had ebbed, she thought.

Rey didn't know what to make of this epiphany, but she knew she had to push it to the back of her mind for now, as usual.

"I'd like to, really," Lando sighed, "but it's been so many years."

"Han was ashamed too," Rey said, "He felt as though he failed Leia, and his son."

Lando looked disgusted. "He may have had his missteps, but Han did everything he could for that boy. I don't know why Ben did what he did, but it wasn't Han's fault, or Leia's."

"I know," Rey replied, "he's responsible for his own choices, as was Han. And Han chose to do the right thing again, despite his shame. So did Leia. She never quit despite all the pressure facing her. All the tragedies and sorrows, Leia never backed down."

"She was always a fighter, that princess," Lando said, remembering nostalgically. "Well, let's take you back to your friends. I'm sure Luke will be glad to see you again."

"Luke," Rey murmured to herself, "Father." Now that she knew the truth, she could only think of him as such in her mind. She only hoped that she could resolve everything without letting it distract her from her mission: to finish the First Order and end Kylo Ren's reign of darkness.


	9. Chapter IX

The command crew of the _Finalizer _waited anxiously as General Hux hurried onto the bridge.

"General, are you all right?" Captain Peavey asked, rushing to his superior.

Hux angrily shoved him out of the way and shouted, "All systems on alert! The two most wanted men in the First Order have infiltrated our command ship!"

"All systems on alert!" Peavey repeated to the deck officers, "Send out all squadrons."

"They cannot leave here alive," Hux seethed. He'd had enough of both Kylo Ren and Luke Skywalker already.

As Luke and Kylo continued to pull the Holocron away from one another with the Force, Palpatine's ghost drifted towards Kylo's side and whispered, "Show him the true power of the dark side. Make him pay for what he did to you!"

Kylo glared into Luke's eyes as his uncle concentrated on trying to pull the Sith Holocron away from him.

Then, he broke his hold on the small, red device and charged at Luke.

Luke barely managed to hold off Kylo's lightsaber attack. He retreated backwards as he pushed the red blade back with his own saber.

The holocron clattered to the corridor foot as Palpatine watched Kylo attack his uncle with increasing ferocity.

Luke was taken by surprise at the strength behind his nephew's offensive. He moved to the side, dodging Kylo's three-bladed weapon as he used his green blade to fend it off.

Palpatine drifted after them as Kylo aggressively pushed Luke backwards with his attack.

Luke glanced backwards at the side wall.

With a rush of vigor, Luke pressed his lightsaber against Kylo's, causing the younger warrior to stumble backwards.

Luke instantly took advatage of his opportunity, Force-jumping backwards towards the wall.

He planted his feet flat onto it, springing back towards Kylo.

Kylo braced himself as his uncle leapt at him in a blur of green and white, retreating as Luke's blade nearly sliced his head off.

Kylo charged again, only to be knocked flat onto his back by Luke's foot. He tried to return to his feet, but Luke kicked him down again, holding his blade down low.

"You have the same overconfidence as your new master, I see," Luke said. "Look where that led him."

"I...am the master," Kylo grunted, batting his lightsaber against Luke's.

"Prove it," Luke replied, using his blade to keep Kylo on the ground.

Palpatine watched Luke maintain the advantage, glowering as Kylo failed to retain his footing.

The transparent visage of the Emperor frowned.

Kylo tried again to give himself room to return to his feet, but Luke would not give him any room.

Suddenly, both sides of the corrirdor were filled with troopers in the white and black uniforms of the First Order.

Luke was forced to turn around as he was bombarded by laserfire.

He deflected the red streaks with relative ease, unintentionally allowing Kylo to slip away.

Kylo himself was not safe from the stormtroopers targeting the two of them.

He likewise deflected the blaster shots surrounding him and his uncle, charging at the nearest group of First Order operatives.

Kylo's red blade sliced through several torsos of armor, and he extended a hand to telekinetically choke a nearby special forces commando.

Luke was having equal success in fending off the First Order batallions sent after him, although they were coming in greater numbers.

His speed was unmatched as he batted away laser bolts from all directions, redirecting them at their sources.

"We need backup!" a sergeant yelled before being mowed down by his own laserbeam.

Luke glanced over at Kylo, who was conjuring Force lightning to electrocute several stormtroopers at once.

For tiniest fraction of a second, Luke flinched as he watched the hatred within his nephew unleash. He had never seen Kylo use such dark power before.

It didn't matter anymore, Luke reminded himself. Seeing an opening, he darted down the _Finalizer_'s corridor away from Kylo as his nephew continued to be bogged down by the overwhelming number of stormtroopers attacking him.

Luke kept his lightsaber at the ready as he sprinted away, deflecting all shots coming his way. His speed made it all the more difficult to target him.

"Get Skywalker!" he heard a First Order officer yell.

Story of his life, he thought ruefully, looking for an escape.

Luke was wearing down, he realized. He was panting heavily and sweat was dripping down his moist face into his beard.

He preferred to escape alive, if possible, but if he didn't make it out, Luke could die at peace, he decided. He had ensured that Finn, Poe and the others had escaped, and they would surely find Rey.

_No_, Luke thought to himself, _I have to make things right._

Not only that, but surely Kylo and Palpatine would target her next, not to mention the entire galaxy. The universe still needed Luke Skywalker.

Luke at last came across a turbolift waiting at the end of the corridor.

He used the Force to knock down the five men standing on the balcony above, then pried open the door.

Luke jumped inside the turbolift, which slammed shut as the door was struck by a hail of blasterfire.

Seeing that there was nobody else in the turbolift, Luke sat down and crossed his legs, taking a deep breath. He closed his eyes, entering a state of deep meditation.

The _Lady Luck _continued to soar across the vacuum of space, with Rey attempting to use the Force to locate the Resistance.

"These friends of yours, at the Resistance they must have meant a lot to you," Lando remarked, "You're risking a lot by going back to them after all this time. Do you have any idea where they might be?"

"I know how to find them," Rey replied, "My friend Finn, he's Force-sensitive too. I've already found him before through a connection in the Force. I'm confident that I can bond with him a second time and guide us to him."

Would Finn be as receptive to her, Rey wondered. She couldn't imagine why not, but then remembered how he had been when she had chosen to ally with Kylo Ren and leave him and the Resistance.

Oh, how Rey regretted that now. Maybe Finn was angry with her, too angry to respond to her beckoning with the Force.

"And Luke?" Lando asked, bringing Rey out of her thoughts, "Can you feel him in the Force?"

Rey pondered this question. Despite knowing that Luke was her father, she had never had such a strong Force connection with him. Maybe it was because of her animosity at his leaving her on Jakku, maybe it was because she'd tried to shut him out of her mind because of it.

"I can try," she replied.

Using the Force, Rey opened up another stream of communication, directing her thoughts and feelings towards the father whom she had never known, the man who she had written off as her enemy...

Rey was so focused on trying to feel out her father in the Force that she did not sense the Firespray class ship trailing the _Lady Luck._

Nor did Lando remember at that moment to check the scanners of his luxury yacht, as his concentration remained on Rey.

"I'm on their tail," Bossk said into the comm channel in his cockpit, "Sending you their coordiantes now."

"We'll intercept them on your signal," the Guavian Death Gang leader Bala-Tik replied, "Stay behind them."

Lando checked the screen in front of him on the control panel while Rey continued to try and find her Resistance allies with the Force.

"Looks like somebody's following us," he said, frowning suspiciously, "It's a Firespray class ship, so I'd reckon it's a bounty hunter."

Rey's focus returned to the here and now, and she looked down on the small screen.

"I think we have trouble," she replied, "Does this ship have any weapons."

"I'm stocked up more than you'd believe," Lando replied. He jerked his head towards the back compartment of the cockpit, which led into a gunnery below the floor.

"See if you can fire up our missles, will you?"

Rey frowned, looking around the ship. She didn't see how a luxury cruiser could carry heavy weaponry, but she'd give it a try.

She opened up the metal flap leading down into the gunnery. Missles were lined up ready to fire in all directions.

Rey could now see the Firespray through the window below deck.

"The old girl didn't come this way!" Lando called down to her, "Made some modifications after I won her."

Rey saw another, larger craft appear before the _Lady Luck, _one she recognized.

Shortly after taking the _Millennium Falcon _with Finn from Jakku, they had found themselves on a large smuggling freighter called the _Eravana. _At the time, the _Eravana _had belonged to Han Solo, but it had been seized by a crime syndicate called the Guavian Death Gang.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Rey said aloud.

"Ready the missiles!" Lando called down.

"Attention Lando Calrissian," the voice of Bala-Tik said into the intercom, "I know you have with you an important quarry wanted by the First Order. You will land on the nearby planet Nar Shadda and surrender her to us. Otherwise, we will destroy you and your ship."

Rey tried to ignore the criminal's threat as she set the missles into launch position, cranking the lever attached to the cannons.

"Think about it, Calrissian. You don't owe her anything. You've done well for yourself in life, built up a vast accumulation of wealth. Are you going to throw your life away for a young woman you met today?"

Rey gazed up through the hatch, unable to see Lando or his reaction.

Bossk's Firespray came up on the other side of the _Lady Luck, _cornering it.

"Shoot the missiles!" Lando ordered. Rey pulled the lever down, sending a volley of explosive ammunition towards both Bossk's ship and the _Eravana. _

Guavian Death Gang thugs were stationed at the cannons lined up along the freight crusier, opening fire on the _Lady Luck._

Lando quickly steered the yacht downwards to avoid the hail of fire as Rey prepared more ammunition to launch in both directions.

"Guess you chose the hard way," Bala-Tik said from the command station of the _Eravana._

"Take us out of here!" Rey shouted urgently.

"Working on it!" Lando replied as he dodged another volley of cannonfire.

The _Raddus_and the rest of the Republic fleet was engaged in warfare with the remaining First Order ships when the _Millennium Falcon _returned to the fray. Both sides were severely crippled and running low on firepower.

The First Order navy seemed to have lost much of its aggressive power without Hux.

"We should be okay here as long as Luke can keep Hux and Kylo Ren off our backs," Poe remarked as he scanned the battle ahead of them.

"If Luke was with us, this would be a piece of cake," Finn replied.

Admiral Ackbar climbed up into the cockpit, joining Finn, Poe, Chewie and the droids. Major Connix came in after him, making her way towards Poe.

Ackbar said, "Patch a signal to the command ship."

"Copy that," Poe replied, activating the comm channel directed towards the _Raddus._

_"_Attention, this is Admiral Ackbar," the Mon Calamari officer said, "All Resistance craft, make a retreat."

"What about the First Order's main Dreadnought?" a voice on the other end inquired.

"That has been taken care of for us," Ackbar replied, "The threat of the _Supremacy _has been greatly diminished. I repeat, all Resistance craft, make a full retreat. We will be joining the fleet at the coordinates I will now dispatch to you."

"Got the coordiantes," the officer in the _Raddus _said.

"Excellent. Jump into hyperspace as soon as possible."

"We're still bogged down by these TIE Fighters," said one of the X Wing pilots.

"We'd better start taking them out before they get too many of us," Connix said.

Poe nodded in agreement, then turned to realize that the pilot's chair next to him was empty.

"Where'd Finn go?"

Finn staggered into the _Falcon's _cargo hold, momentarily forgetting the situation around him.

Someone or something was definitely trying to communicate.

"What is this?" Finn asked the empty air in the room, "what's going on."

He nearly fell backwards against the wall as a blue, shimmering apparation came into view before him, almost resembling a hologram.

It was the ghost of a grey-haired man, with a short beard and Jedi robes similar to Luke Skywalker's.

"Who are you?" Finn asked.

"I am Obi-Wan Kenobi, young Finn," the ghost replied, "You don't know me, but I was the mentor of Luke Skywalker, the man who taught you the ways of the Force."

"He's mentioned you," Finn said, regarding Obi-Wan Kenobi with mystified wonder that he had erroneously thought he had grown out of, "what afe you doing here?"

"I understand your friend Rey has gone missing," Kenobi said, "Right now, she needs help, badly. And you and the Resistance needs her. It seems as though an old threat is preparing to rise again. Kylo Ren has been joined by the old Galactic Emperor, and the Resistance is certaon to be a target. You must reunite with your fellow Jedi if you wish to be able to bring down the dark warriors."

Finn took in the information about the Sith named Sidious, but he was more interested in Rey. "Rey needs help? Is she in danger?"

"I'm afraid so," Obi-Wan replied, "she is powerful with the Force, but not invulnerable. No Jedi is. If we act quickly, I can use the Force to guide you and your allies to her aid."

Finn frowned at the old Jedi spirit, deciding that the better option was to listen to him.

Major Connix and Chewbacca were climbing into the gunning stations of the _Falcon _as Finn raced back into the cockpit.

"We need to find Rey now!" he said.

Poe looked sadly at his friend. "Look, Finn..."

"No, I can take us to her!" he said, "just trust me. Kylo Ren has the Emperor on his side, and they'll be coming for us all! We need to help Rey."

Poe looked into his friend's eyes, seeing the urgency. He nodded and said, "Take it from here, Master Jedi."

"Not a Master yet," Finn muttered offhandedly.

"You know what to do?" Poe asked as he fired the _Falcon's _guns at an incoming swarm of TIE Fighters.

Finn closed his eyes and focused on the cargo hold below the cockpit, where the spirit of Obi-Wan Kenobi was forming a connection with Rey in the Force.

Finn could sense her too now, thanks to Obi-Wan's efforts. She was in the Nar Shadda system, barely managing to fend off the ships attacking her.

_Trust me,_ Finn could hear Obi-Wan saying.

_Hold tight Rey. Your friends are coming to help._

"We're heading to these coordinates," Finn said as he typed them onto the screen.

"All craft, jump to the new coordiantes as soon as possible," Ackbar said into the _Falcon's _radio.

"Copy that," said the reply.

"Roger."

"Green Leader standing by."

"I hope this works," Finn muttered as he pulled the lever, bound for Rey and the next mission ahead.

Nearby, Obi-Wan's spiritual presence provided assurance to him, as well as Rey as she shouted up to Lando, "Let me take the controls."

"What?" Lando replied as Rey climbed back up into the _Lady Luck's _cockpit.

"We're about to be stardust. Let me take the controls while you draw their fire. Trust me."

Lando looked between Rey and the smuggling freighter slowly drilling holes into the dining hall of the luxury yacht, and climbed as quickly out of the captain's seat as his old age would allow.

Rey was immediate to take control, veering the large, now-damaged ship sideways as Lando began firing at Bossk's craft.

Rey sped on towards the planet ahead, preparing to fly the _Lady Luck _in a lap around it's spherical surface.

Nar Shadda was an urban world overrun with criminal gangs such as the Guavian. Once upon a time, its system had been ruled by the Hutts before they lost power.

Worst case scenario, they would land on the planet and hide out, Rey decided.

Bossk pursued his quarry in his own ship as he continued to fire on them, while the _Eravana _was much slower to keep up.

"Send a direct hit to their back quarter wing," Bala-Tik ordered. In truth, he intended to capture both the girl and Calrissian alive. They'd be much more valuable that way.

Using the Force to move the _Finalizer's _elevator, Luke opened his eyes. He sensed that he was not in immediate danger, but he was wasting time on the First Order's battleship. He had to get off and return to his friends, and better yet, his daughter.

Kylo and the Emperor would have to wait.

Luke rose to his feet and continued to move the elevator, until he began to slow it down. He would have to be fast and stealthy if he was to escape.

Nearly two dozen stormtroopers hollered and writhed in agony as Kylo send a ripple of Sith lightning through their armored bodies.

He had clipped his lightsaber to his belt and with his other hand, gripped the Holocron that had shown him the key to this extent of power.

"Find Skywalker," the voice inside the Holocron hissed, "end it now!"

Kylo raced past the bodies of dying First Order troopers, climbing up the staircase towards a small, secret hangar.

Alarms were blaring throughout the _Finalizer _as pilots continued to rush to their fighters.

The battle against the _Supremacy _was still raging. Its indestructable capabilities had been destroyed by Hux's surprise attack, and several parts of the Dreadnought were burning up as the ships that sided with Hux laid waste to it.

Kylo knew he had to finish the job now. He had waited far too long. Now he was ready, after completing his final mission to achieve true darkness.

He raced past the bodies towards the staircase up ahead. He sensed with the Force that Skywalker was up there. The Jedi Master's most powerful weapon would lead Kylo to him, and it would be the end of Luke.


	10. Chapter X

"How're we doing down there?" Lando Calrissian called down to Rey as he tried to keep the bulky _Lady Luck _away from the hail of missile fire coming from the _Eravana._

"Doing the best I can!" Rey grunted as she drew fire from Bossk's Firespray while using as much Force energy as possible to redirect the ammunition flying around them.

She could feel the ghost of Kenobi giving her encouragement from far away, but she was getting tired. Soon the thugs would overrun them and blow them to bits if something didn't change.

Lando continued to make laps around the surface of Nar Shadda, trying to throw off the ships on their tail.

The _Falcon _would be able to get them out of this easily, he thought.

"Can you get us into lightspeed?" Rey asked.

"They blew up our hyperdrive, I'm afraid," Lando replied, "We're not getting out so easy."

Still clutching the Sith Holocron close to him, Kylo came across another squadron of First Order troopers in the corridor near one of the _Finalizer_'s smaller hangars.

"It's the traitor!" the sergeant yelled. It was mere formality, really, as the men opened fire. They had no chance and they knew it by now. The moment they came across Kylo, they were sentenced to death.

After killing the stormtroopers, Kylo gazed towards the hangar where he saw General Hux making his way towards a small shuttle, presumable to make his escape.

"General Hux!" Captain Peavey shouted from his comlink, "Where are you? We need..."

Hux took his comlink from his belt and threw it across the hangar.

As he prepared to climb aboard the shuttle, something grabbed him and lifted him into the air.

Hux screamed in terror as he flew backwards against his will, coming to a stop in the malevolent glare of Kylo Ren.

"Now you will be seen for the coward you really are," Kylo snarled, keeping Hux danging with his feet just off the floor.

Hux struggled, but couldn't speak or move. He could not hide the fear in his face as Kylo activated his red lightsaber.

The weapon switched on and off so fast, it appeared as though Kylo had never ignited it.

Hux clutched the hole in his chest as he stumbled against the wall, slumping to the ground.

In his final moments, he found it within him to speak to his enemy, and give him one last taunt.

"You will never...be...a strong...ruler..." Hux mumbled, his consciousness fading shortly afterward.

Kylo gazed down at Hux coldly as he died.

One nuisance eliminated, he thought.

Now Kylo needed to return his attention to finding Skywalker.

He prowled along down the corridor, amid the blaring alarms. He disappeared around the corner, in search of his prey.

Hux's body remained slumped against the wall, his great plans and ambitions gone with him.

Armored and uniformed men around Luke raced through the corridors in search of him. Yet Luke was able to creep past them all by using the Force to mask his presence.

He just needed to find Artoo and his X-Wing and escape. He knew that machines such as Artoo were not attuned to the Force, but the bond between him and his astromech had always been beyond any rational explanation.

He concentrated on Artoo with his mind, hoping that the little droid would somehow know where he was.

Luke saw a ventilation shaft ahead, at the end of the corridor.

Waiting as a long line of white and black ran past him, Luke slowly moved along the hallway towards it. There, he would hide until Artoo found him.

Assuming he had survived the ongoing space battle between Kylo's forces and the First Order.

As he drew closer to the vent, Luke heard the hum of a lightsaber behind him.

He turned in exhaustion to find his nephew, whose blade was dipped towards Luke.

"Now we end this," Kylo said, staring Luke down with his dark side-haunted eyes.

Luke pulled his lightsaber from his belt and ignited its blade as Kylo rushed at him. Luke backed up as Kylo struck at him repeatedly, deflecting each blow.

Kylo pushed Luke's weapon away with his own. Luke tried to move his lightsaber away into a more advantageous position, but Kylo parried unexpectedly and slashed at Luke's leg.

Luke cried out as a gashing pain erupted in his knee and staggered.

He brought his blade up as Kylo prepared to deal the fatal blow. Luke kicked back against his nephew, planting his foot into Kylo's thigh.

Kylo briefly slid away from Luke, then swung his three-bladed saber towards his uncle's neck.

Luke ducked and swiped his green blade low, forcing Kylo to jump.

Luke stumbled back, his injury seeping. A small drip of blood appeared through his pants.

Kylo lunged again, backing Luke against the wall.

He pushed Luke's weapon back with his own, so close that Luke could practically taste the plasma.

Just as the blade inched towards Luke's neck, he pushed back hard, sending Kylo against the opposite wall.

Luke moved sideways and assumed a defensive combat stance.

Kylo let out a frustrated yell and charged.

Once again, he was met with a hail of laserfire as a large batallion of stormtroopers rushed in, surrounding them both.

Luke's attention shifted from Kylo to the newcomers. He batted away the bolts coming towards him, backing towards the vent.

As he plunged his lightsaber into an elite shadowtrooper, Kylo made his way back towards the distracted Luke.

Luke turned back towards Kylo, prepared to meet his attack...and screamed as his back was lit on fire.

Luke turned to face the trooper who had shot at him with a flamethrower.

He sliced the helmeted man's weapon in half, then jumped towards the vent before Kylo could strike at him again.

Luke grabbed the edge of the vent with his free hand, then threw his lightsaber upward.

Climbing into the small tunnel, Luke caught his weapon, deactivating it. He rolled against the shaft to put out the fire burning his backside.

Slowly and exhaustedly, Luke dragged his aching body through the shaft, towards the end.

At last, he slumped against the inside of the vent, the pain of his injuries too much to keep going.

Closing his eyes, Luke felt something latch onto his robe.

He turned his head weakly to find Artoo Deetoo, perched in the wing of Luke's fighter, which was docked inside the opened vent facing the vaccum of space ahead.

Luke tried to move towards his friend, but could not.

Artoo reeled his master towards him with the cable he had extended, beeping in determination. He would not let Luke go down with the ship.

At last, Luke's limp form made its way to the X Wing. Artoo rose from his socket, lifting Luke up and into the cockpit, which then closed over Luke.

Artoo carried them out of the vent and into the fray of the space war, unnoticed by the TIE Fighters doing battle with one another.

_Good old Artoo._

Seated in the cockpit of his X Wing, Luke drifted into unconsciousness as Artoo led them into hyperspace, far, far away.

Sometime later, a TIE Silencer emerged from the main hangar of the _Finalizer._

As Kylo Ren piloted his ship back towards the heavily-damaged _Supremacy, _the holographic figure of Zorri Bliss appeared in front of him.

"Supreme Leader, what are your orders?"

"Finish off the Dreadnought and return to the command ship," Kylo growled, shutting off the comminication.

The Knights of Ren concentrated all fire on the _Finalizer _from their frigates, boosting their ammunition's destructive capabilities with the dark side.

In moments, the entire Star Destroyer erupted into flames as ships desparately tried to evacuate from it. All of its corridors, command bridges, and towers were wiped away into cinders.

The _Lady Luck _tilted sideways as the Guavian Death Gang freighter blasted another hole in its engine. Rey nearly fell out of the ammunitions compartment as her body slid down with the shifting floor.

She closed her eyes and hoped that help was coming soon. It was a long shot, given the circumstances, and so she knew she would have to prepare to die now. At least Rey had seen the light before dying, and broken away from the manipulation Kylo had subjected her to for three years.

She would never see Finn, or the Resistance, or her father again.

As Bossk turned his guns to the cockpit, the _Millennium Falcon _came into orbit of the Nar Shadda system and blasted at the Firespray.

Bossk fumbled with his control, failing to steer his ship as it was sent spiraling towards the surface of Nar Shadda.

Rey looked out towards the _Falcon _and let out a crow despite herself.

"It's the Resistance!" she cried out, "We're saved! The _Falcon's _here!"

"Oh, I know that ship!" Lando shouted triumphantly, "That's my girl! I never thought I'd see her again! I knew I could always count on her!"

Finn vigorously blasted the _Eravana _as Poe steered the _Falcon _towards Rey and Lando, leading the entire Resistance fleet as it entered the system.

"Retreat!" Bala-Tik yelled, horrified by the number of ships entering the fray, "Make an immediate jump into lightspeed!"

"This is the _Millennium Falcon," _Poe said into the radio, "Do you copy?"

"Oh, I copy!" Lando shouted with joy, "I read you loud and clear

"Who is this?" Poe asked, frowning in confusion.

"It's Lando Calrissian!" Rey said, joining Lando in the cockpit, "he's a friend."

"Lando Calrissian?" Threepio said curiously as Chewbacca let out a roar.

"Rey?" Poe asked in amazement, "Is that really you?"

"Yes!" Rey shouted back, overcome with inexplicable emotion, "You don't know what this means to me."

"We'd never leave a friend behind," Poe said, "Now let's get you out of there."

"Bad news," Lando said, "It looks like this one's going to crashland."

"Sit tight," Poe said, "We're coming down to help you."

Lando tried to maintain control as the damaged _Lady Luck _began to descend towards Nar Shadda's surface faster than intended.

His heart pounding, Finn quickly raced towards the ladder leading into the cockpit of the _Falcon _as Poe steered the ship after the _Lady Luck._

Before climbing up, Finn turned back to the ghost of Obi-Wan Kenobi and whispered, "Thank you."

The old Jedi Master smiled in response before fading out of the _Millennium Falcon._

Finn joined his friends as they entered Nar Shadda's atmosphere. The _Lady Luck _was quickly descending towards the city lights below them.

Lando concentrated on a clearing visible amid the outskirts of Nar Shadda's capital.

Cinders and smoke flew everywhere as the _Lady Luck _landed on the pavement with a dangerous slide across the ground.

Several fighters flanked the _Falcon _as it reached the ground. Rey coughed as she climbed out of the wreckage, Lando following close behind her.

She gaped at the _Falcon _as it touched down along with the X-Wings.m

"That's my baby," Lando said proudly, "Like Han said, she's the fastest ship in the fleet."

Poe was the first one out on the ramp, beaming as he took in the sight of Rey amid the scenery of Nar Shadda's urban traffic above.

"Poe!" Rey cried out, rushing to him.

The Resistance colonel happily met her in a tight embrace.

Though they had really only met a short time before Rey had joined forces with Kylo Ren on Mustafar, Rey felt a close kinship with Poe Dameron.

"We missed you," Poe chuckled as he released Rey, "We really did, especially..."

"Finn."

Rey grew serious as she saw him appear on the ramp of the _Falcon. _

Finn gazed down at her, a mixture of feelings reflected within his facial expression.

"I couldn't stop thinking about you," he said at last, "I never stopped hoping you would come back."

Rey looked down in guilt and shame. "I was wrong. To leave the Resistance, the war, everything. My place is with the Resistance."

Finn waited as Rey finished her sentence as if he was hoping she would add something else to it. Finally, he climbed down the ramp and embraced his friend.

Rey fought back the tears in her eyes as she hugged him back. A loud roar came as Chewie rushed out of the _Falcon._

Chewbacca flung his large, hairy arms around Rey as she said, "Oh, Chewie, I missed you."

Chewbacca let out a series of roars and growls as he gripped Rey's forearms.

"No, don't worry Chewie, I won't scare you like that again."

As Threepio and BB8 came outside, Chewie's attention quickly turned from Rey to the caped man standing a short distance behind her.

He growled and started towards Lando as the old gambler raised his hands.

"Easy Chewie, easy," Lando said nervously as Chewbacca charged at him.

"Chewie, no!" Rey shouted as Chewbacca struggled to get his hands on the frightened Lando.

But Chewie likewise wrapped old Calrissian in a tight hug, to his surprise and joy.

"Hey, Chewie," Lando said, chuckling, "Long time no see, I know."

Chewbacca was showing more warmth towards Lando than he possibly ever had.

"Happy to see you too, old buddy," Lando said.

"So you're the Lando Calrissian?" Poe asked, stepping forward to greet him as Finn gave Rey another hug, "Leia's told me all about you."

"I'll bet she has, her worshipfulness," Lando replied lightly, shaking Poe's hand before making his way to the _Millennium Falcon._

He put his hand to the ship and affectionately stroked it.

"Can't tell you how many times this girl saved me," Lando said, growing emotional as he beheld the sight of the _Falcon._

_"_So Lando," Rey asked, "Are you with us?"

The old man turned to her and smiled nostaglically under his bushy grey mustache.

"I'm ready to fight once again," he replied.

As the _Millennium Falcon _sailed up out of Nar Shaddaa's atmosphere towards the awaiting Resistance fleet, Rey and Finn sat alone in the passenger bay.

They sat in front of the table where several games of dejarik had been played, and where Luke Skywalker had once mourned the death of Obi-Wan Kenobi.

"I could hardly think about anything or anyone else," Finn said.

"Me neither,' Rey replied, "I felt so guilty leaving after..."

The words died in her mouth as she remembered Finn's confession in Snoke's throne room on Mustafar. Best not to go there just yet.

"I see you made your own lightsaber," Rey said with a more lighthearted tone, gesturing to the hilt clipped to Finn's utility belt, "Have you been learning to face remotes while blindfolded?"

Finn nodded, chuckling softly before returning to a serious demeanor.

"So what's next?" he asked.

This was the hard part, Rey thought. Now came the most difficult part of facing the Resistance after she returned.

"Now we have to find Luke Skywalker," Rey said softly, taking in what all of it meant, "Kylo Ren and the Emperor will be coming for the Resistance and we need him."

"Right," Finn replied.

"Finn, there's something I haven't said, something about Luke," Rey said, taking a deep breath, "I have to tell somebody."

"What is it?" Finn asked with a heavy note of concern, "What's going on, Rey?"

"Luke is..." all she had to do was say it. It wouldn't be so hard then.

"Luke is my father. I'm the daughter of Luke Skywalker?"

"What?" Finn asked, totally dumbstruck.

"Yes, the man I swore off, the man I hated for leaving me on Jakku, the man I wanted nothing to do with, he's my father."

"How do you know?" Finn asked curiously.

"Maz told me," Rey replied, reluctant to mention the Emperor or anything that had happened while she had been with Kylo Ren. "I had blocked all prior memories of him from my mind during my years on Jakku but then...they just all came back to me."

"What about your mother?" Finn asked.

"I don't know," Rey replied, shaking her head grimly, "I don't know where she is or if she's alive. I'll find out though, if I'm still here when this is all over."

"Don't talk like that," Finn said, shaking Rey with his hands, "We're all going to make it. I'm not letting you go a second time."

"Hey," Poe said as he stepped into the passenger bay, "we're reaching the command ship now."

"We'll be right there," Finn replied.

"What's going on here?" Poe asked, sitting down on Finn's other side.

"Rey was just..." Finn caught himself and looked pointedly at Rey.

"I was just telling him that Luke is my father," Rey finished for her friend.

Poe flinched, blinking in surprise. "Luke? He's your father?"

Rey nodded. "I know, it's strange for me too."

A sudden and crucial thought occurred to Rey.

"Do you know where he is, Poe?"

Poe sighed with regret, remembering how they had been forced to leave Luke behind on the _Finalizer _while he faced down Kylo Ren.

"Your dad's the best fighter I've ever known," Poe replied, "Wherever he is, he's definitely okay. He'll be wanting to see you again too."

"I'm sure," Rey replied distantly, nodding her head.

As the _Falcon _came to a stop inside the _Raddus_'s main hangar, the three of them sat together for another moment, which was all too short.

Then, hearing Chewie's Wookiee growl and BB8's whistle, the trio rose and made their way towards the ramp of the _Falcon._

Kylo Ren stormed past the ranks of Sith Troopers as they waited for him on the hangar of the battle-damaged _Supremacy. _He quickly strode towards the throne room where Snoke had once ruled the now-fallen First Order.

Once he entered, he assumed his throne, setting the Sith Holocron beside him. Smoke emerged from the glowing red holocron as the spirit of Darth Sidious came into formation.

"So, once again you have failed to eliminate Luke Skywalker," Sidious snarled, his transparent yellow eyes drilling into Kylo.

"I nearly had him," Kylo replied, unable to stop a shiver from running down his spine, "I would have had him if not for..."

"If not for nothing," Sidious snapped angrily, "I gave you my darkest, most sacred knowledge to destroy the last Jedi Master. I'm afraid that power might have been wasted."

Darth Sidious was sounding too much like Snoke, Kylo realized. He hadn't toppled his former master for nothing.

"I am the Supreme Leader!" Kylo said forcefully, "The dark side and its secrets are mine to command! You're nothing but a ghost!"

He hollered in pain as a small shock of red-colored lightning crackled out of the Sith Holocron and rippled through Kylo's body. Kylo fell foreward out of his throne onto the floor.

Sidious's spirit hovered over him with an air of superiority.

"You have already achieved great power," the old Emperor said, "but I fear it may not be enough to defeat Skywalker. Even further knowledge is required, I'm afraid."

"Anything," Kylo panted, struggling back onto his feet, "I'll do anything to get rid of Skywalker once and for all."

"I know you will," Sidious replied, "I know you will, Kylo Ren. There is one more thing to do if you wish to ensure total victory."

"Tell me," Kylo replied anxiously.

"It is very risky and dangerous," Sidious said, "You must be absolutely willing."

"Like I said, I'll do anything to be able to kill Skywalker."

"Very well," Sidious replied, "It is time for me to reveal my last and my most powerful secret."


	11. Chapter XI

The first thing Luke saw when he awoke was a large blur of purple. He immediately realized that this was the sky of whatever world he had been brought to.

Luke almost felt as though he was in the afterlife, having died after the escape from the First Order Star Destroyer, but no, he would know if he had died.

He was lying in an unfamiliar cot, surrounded by stone walls and pillars. This was the courtyard amid a large, labyrinth-like temple.

Looking around, he saw Artoo Deetoo wheeling through the archway into the courtyard from inside the temple, quickly approaching his master as Luke climbed out of the cot.

"Hey, Artoo, nice to see you," Luke said, smiling slightly as he patted the little droid's domed head with his robotic hand. "You've saved my life so many times now, I wonder if you should be the Jedi Master and I should be the droid."

He then gazed up at purple sky, the black clouds, and the temple around him. He could see a long corridor at the edge of the archway, leading outside to a landscape filled with craters.

"Where did you take me?" Luke wondered aloud, "How do you know this place?"

Suddenly, a strange looking figure emerged from another entrance to the courtyard, followed by six similar looking beings.

The one leading the mysterious group was feminine looking, yet unlike any creature Luke had seen or dreamed of.

Like its followers, this creature had a glowing white face and eyes that matched this hue, wearing a blue and orange gown and wings to allow it to take flight.

Her companions also were winged, but also wore yellow-gold robes and cloaks over their faces.

"Welcome, Master Skywalker," the leader said as she approached Luke, "Your friend brought you to us to heal your injuries. Your father visited this world during the Clone Wars, on a mission to save us from the Sith."

"My father?" Luke asked in utter bemusement, filled with more wonder and curiosity than he had ever felt since his youth. These beings all radiated an aura of calm and peace, not unlike how Luke felt when he was most connected to the light side of the Force.

Around these beautiful creatures, he felt like a boy again, learning about the Jedi and the Force for the first time from Obi-Wan.

"Welcome to the moon of Millius Prime," the blue-and-orange-gowned creature said, "One of the moons of Iego. Not many are familiar with this world. It lies at the very edge of the known galaxy."

She bowed to Luke in a gesture of respect. "We are the Diathim, also known as the Angels."

"The Angels," Luke repeated breathlessly. A fitting name, given their comforting beauty.

"Thank you for your help," he replied, "Thank you for everything. Do you have my ship?"

"Your transport is being kept safe for you," the Angel replied, "Why don't you let us show you our sanctuary of worship?"

She gestured for Luke and Artoo to follow her and her companions.

Walking alongside the leader as they entered a wide, twisted passageway inside the temple, Luke asked, "What exactly do you worship?"

"This is a temple dedicated to the prophecy of the Chosen One. It was you who brought your father, Anakin Skywalker, back from the dark side. He fulfulled the prophecy and defeated the Emperor."

Luke gazed up at the ceiling of elaborate passageway as they continued the trek, remembering the exact moment Darth Vader had saved him from Palpatine's evil wrath.

Vader had ceased to exist and the man who had fathered Luke and Leia had returned.

"This place, you say it is for my father?"

"The galaxy owes the Skywalker family a great debt," the Angel replied as they reached the exit, "And now, for the part I think will greatly interest you."

They stepped through the tunnel leading out of the temple. Luke stopped and gaped at the statue before him.

He recognized the marble figure of his father, his long hair and Jedi robes depicted in the sculpture.

"I never knew that my father had such a legacy," Luke said, "I didn't think anyone else would recognize the good in him."

"Whatever Vader was, Anakin won in the end," the Angel replied, "it was the man who loved your mother, and swore to protect her, it was he who triumphed. No immortality could ever match that power."

Luke considered this, remembering how even Obi-Wan and Yoda had given up on bringing Anakin back to the light.

_You were right about me. _

"I have to get back to the Resistance," Luke said to the Angels, "I've loved this, and I wish I could stay, but I have a job to do."

A wise voice behind Luke said, "They will be coming to you, in time. For now, you belong here, where they can find you."

Luke turned to greet the ghostly apparition of Obi-Wan Kenobi.

"I was wondering when I'd see you," Luke said.

"You'll be pleased to know that your daughter Rey is safe and back with her friends in the Resistance," Obi-Wan replied.

"Have you seen her?" Luke asked the old ghost.

"I was there with her when she was in peril, and I guided the young man Finn to her aid with the Force. You've trained him quite well, by the way."

"Well thank you," Luke replied, taking a humorous bow.

"More and more I see the best of both your parents reflected in you, Luke," Obi-Wan said, placing a shimmering hand on his friend's shoulder, "I could not be prouder."

"The fight isn't over yet," Luke replied glumy, "Darth Sidious is growing stronger, and he won't stop until he gets what he wants. I couldn't stop him this time. I don't know what I'll do now."

"You found the Emperor's weakness once," Obi-Wan replied confidently, "even proving me wrong. Darth Sidious has never been invulnerable. But remember, Luke. You must trust in Rey, and in the goodwill of the Force."

"I know," Luke replied.

"And now, old friend, this is where I leave you," Obi-Wan said, "The way of the Jedi will live on through you and your daughter."

Luke smiled fondly as Obi-Wan faded away, raising a hand in farewell.

The transparent, ghostly face of Darth Sidious grinned knowingly as he realized that the time to advance his ultimate plan was approaching.

"If you are to fully unlock my power, you must become me," declared the Emperor.

Kylo pondered this nervously. "What...what do you mean, Lord Sidious?"

Sidious's dark ghost floated in a circle around Kylo's throne.

"Do you feel the flow of the dark knowledge in you?"

"I feel it in my blood," Kylo replied.

"And what do you make of it?"

"I want more," Kylo said determinedly, "I want more of your power, more strength in the dark side."

"Naturally," replied Sidious musingly, "Then here is what must happen. You must take my spirit, and absorb it into your body."

Kylo looked up at the dead Emperor with a greater degree of fear than he would have preferred to display."You are saying...that you must possess me?"

"I am merely suggesting that my spirit shares your body with you. Skywalker was at my mercy once. He was unable to fight back against my power. And he shall fail again. Do you want to kill the last of the Jedi?"

"Of course," Kylo replied, closing his eyes and thinking about what this would mean.

He would be sharing his body with another being, a man carrying the greatest power of almost any Force user in history.

All of it would be his, everything Darth Sidious had accomplished during his long lifetime.

"I will accept you into my body, Emperor."

"You are doing the right thing, Supreme Leader Ren," Sidious replied, using Kylo's dark side name and title in order to give him a sense of control, "Only together can we destroy Luke Skywalker and his bloodline."

Artoo Deetoo's scanners picked up the crater-filled ecosystem of Millius Prime, picking up on the villages and the Angels residing in their dwellings.

A holographic blueprint appeared from the small projector on his domed head. Searching his internal banks, Artoo managed to find a transmission channel to his smaller, newer counterpart BB8.

BB8 chirped excitedly as he wheeled around Poe, Finn, Rey and company.

"Whoa, what's going on, little buddy?" Poe asked.

"I do believe he is saying..." Threepio began, but Rey had started talking at the same time.

"He says that he received a..."

"Excuse me, Mistress Rey," Threepio interrupted, a a little irritated, "But I am a protocol droid, fluent in over six million forms of communication."

"Sorry Threepio," Rey said, "carry on."

"He says that he has gotten a communication from Artoo Deetoo!" Threepio exclaimed.

"Is Luke Skywalker with him?" Rey asked.

"He's got to be," Lando replied, "If you're talking about the Artoo that I remember, that little droid would never leave his side."

"Oh, I have been most worried about them!" Threepio exclaimed, before adding more soberly, "My life has gotten so boring without Artoo."

"Any idea where they are?" asked Finn.

BB8 replied to him as Connix, Ackbar and Lando proceeded towards the exit from the hangar into the corridor leading into the navigation center.

"He says that the transmission from Artoo comes from the Iego system, beyond the far reaches of the Outer Rim."

Rey moved her hand to her temple, sensing a calling not unlike the one she had felt when the chest had called to her on Takodana.

"Something or someone in the Force is guiding me to his presence," she said.

Rey was picking up an increasingly powerful aura from a long distance, many stars and lightyears away.

_Rey. Come._

"I should go to him," she said, "On the _Falcon. _It's the two of us that Kylo and the Emperor are coming after."

"I'm coming with you," Finn said confidently, putting a venturesome arm around Rey's shoulders.

Rey squirmed ever so slightly, then nodded. Before she could reply, Major Connix came rushing back into the hangar.

"Colonel!" she said.

"What's the hurry, Major Connix?" Poe asked as Connix reached him in a hurry.

"We've received intelligence of massive activity surrounding the main First Order Dreadnought. They're massing up a giant fleet on Coruscant."

By now, hundreds of thousands of red Sith Troopers were assembled, with dozens of Star Destroyers at the ready, which had been previously unknown.

Kylo Ren knelt inside the meditation chamber inside the old Imperial Palace, his eyes closed and his hands firmly grasping the Sith Holocron.

Crackles of energy were visibly flowing through his veins as he used the Force to seize everything inside.

When Kylo spoke, it was with a voice that was not entirely his own.

"And now, let us complete the transformation," Darth Sidious said from inside the holocron, transmitting into Kylo's vocal cords.

Kylo's eyes briefly reverted to their normal black as he responded through his own consciousness, "What do you mean by transformation, Lord Sidious?"

"In my new body, I shall become young and whole again," Sidious gloated, "I have achieved the secret to immortality through the dark side. I have succeeded where all Sith before me have failed."

Kylo's eyes widened in sudden fear, but then returned to their haunted state as he felt sharp pains throughout his body. It was changing rapidly, he realized. His shape and physique, his facial features...

Soon his face and body had entirely changed. Another man stood in his place, a man as young and handsome as Kylo had been, but with wavy red hair and blue eyes that turned yellow and red at will.

The rejuvenated Darth Sidious cackled as he rose to his feet.

Zorri Bliss entered the chamber tentatively, flanked by a guard of Sith Troopers.

"The fleet is ready, Supreme Leader."

For a moment, Kylo Ren took control of his own body, collapsing to his knees in a panting heap.

"Deploy...all transports," he gasped, "I will join you...soon..."

Zorri Bliss stared in wonder for a brief instant, then turned to leave the chamber.

As Darth Sidious took control again of Kylo's body, he stood up on his feet once more, taking the holocron as he departed. A sinister, evil grin formed upon his face, which was younger and smoother than it had been in decades.

Luke sat down in meditation on Maxilla Prime, sensing a deep disturbance in the Force. This one was worse than any he had felt in his life.

Sidious had returned from the dead, and he had taken over Ben Solo's body.

"I'm sorry Leia," Luke whispered mournfully.

_Rey, _he said in the channels of the living Force, _please hurry._

He knew that Emperor Palpatine was coming for him and Rey, and he knew they needed to stand together.

Rey sat meditating inside the _Falcon, _which was still docked aboard the Resistance command ship.

She could sense the Sith fleet sailing across the galaxy, and she could sense her father calling to her.

She would answer the call this time, and now. Rey leapt off of the floor and scrambled towards the cockpit.

She climbed up the ladder to find the round BB8 sitting inside the pilot's chair.

"BB8?" Rey asked with a paradoxical mixture of impatience and possibly inappropriate amusement, "What are you doing in here?"

BB8 responded sternly, or as close to it as he could.

"I'm sorry, BB8," Rey replied, "I've cut off my father for far too long. I have a mission to complete, as a Jedi."

BB8 gave her a lengthy plea.

"Look, I've missed you too," Rey replied, "But you can't come with me. Poe's going to need you more than I do."

"What do you think you're doing, taking my old ship without me?" Lando asked as he climbed into the cockpit with Chewbacca, who gave an admonishing growl.

"No," Rey replied, "I just have..."

"We stand together," Finn said, climbing last into the _Falcon's _cockpit, "always."

Rey looked around at her friends, old and new, inside the _Falcon. _She needed them as much as they needed her.

"All right then," she said, "Let's do this."

"BB8!" Poe called from down below. "You up there?"

BB8 hopped down from the pilot's chair and whistled an affirmative.

"Poe, you coming with us?" Finn asked as he peeked down the ladder at his friend.

"Wish I could," Poe replied sadly, "but the fleet and army need me here to lead."

Finn frowned sadly as he climbed down the ladder to say goodbye, but not farewell.

"I get it," he said, smiling fondly at Poe, "General Organa trusted you for a reason."

"We'll be there soon enough," Poe promised him, "Just as soon as we take care of a little fifty thousand man problem."

"Fifty thousand?" Finn asked.

"Okay, more like five hundred thousand," Poe chuckled.

"You didn't think you'd leave without saying goodbye to me?" Rey asked as she came down to hug Poe.

"Of course not," Poe replied as Rey released him, "Give Palpatine and Kylo Ren hell for me."

"See you buddy," Finn said as he and Rey turned to climb back up.

The three of them started to say the exact same thing, "May the Force..."

They stopped awkwardly before Poe finished. "May the Force be with you guys."

Finn and Rey climbed back up to the cockpit as Poe and BB8 turned to exit the _Falcon._

A moment later, former captain Lando Calrissian and copilot Chewbacca took them out of the _Raddus'_s hangar bound for the Iego system.

"Know how to get us to Iego?" Lando asked.

"I can guide us," Rey said as she sat down behind Lando and Chewie, joined by Finn.

"All right, let's get this out on the road," Lando replied, starting the_ Falcon's _engine.

Poe watched as the ship took off from the _Raddus's _hangar, before going along with BB8 to the command station.

Inside the throne room of the damaged _Supremacy, _Kylo Ren continued to wrestle with the second soul inside him.

He grasped his head in pain and writhed as his body transformed back and forth between himself and the younger Darth Sidious.

"Resisting is futile," the Sith Lord taunted, regaining controll over the body he was hijacking, "It will be all the more painful to you. Soon, none of Ben Solo will be left and this body will be mine."

Kylo briefly managed to retain his own self.

"You promised...to help..." he gasped, desperately trying to push the parasite out of him.

He then transformed back into Sidious, climbing off the floor onto the throne.

"I am your savior, Ben Solo," the young Emperor replied, "I have saved you from the pathetic fate that would otherwise befall you."

"No..." Kylo grunted, managing to morph back into his original form. Fighting back was consuming all the energy within him, he realized. He had to preserve his strength.

He couldn't believe he had trusted this man. Sidious was no better than Snoke or Luke Skywalker. Kylo knew that this could have all been avoided if he had resisted the Sith Lord's call in the first place. How could he have been so blind?

"The enemy fleet is coming into range," reported Major Connix, watching through the _Raddus's _scanners as ship after ship approached them.

These new crusiers were accompanied by hundreds of thousands of TIE Fighters flown by specialized Sith Troopers who had the Force to boost their piloting abilities.

Poe peered out at them with his macrobinoculars. This was going to be harder than even he had imagined.

"Are all ships and fighters accounted for?" he asked Admiral Ackbar.

Ackbar nodded and gestured to the many Republic and Resistance crusiers, bombers and fighters ready to do battle.

"General Calrissian was able to reach out to several contacts for additional support," the Mon Calamari replied.

"Well, let's hope everything we have is enough," Poe replied, "That's really all we can do now."


	12. Chapter XII

"Any idea how close we are to this Iego system?" Lando asked Rey, who had taken over Chewie's copilot duties.

Chewie and Threepio were now playing dejarik while the _Falcon _remained on autopilot for the time being.

"I can't tell exactly the distance, but the Force is telling me that we're on the right trajectory," Rey replied. She stopped and sensed another ripple, one just as familiar as the one she was following, only much darker and more sinister.

"He knows we're coming," Rey said, shifting uncomfortably in her seat, "The Emperor."

"Well, Luke faced him once before, right?" Lando asked optimistically.

"He couldn't do it alone," Rey replied, "He relied on Vader to break away from the darkness and save him. I don't know whether together we can stop Palpatine or not."

"Yeah, not to mention that big army of his," Lando added.

Rey tried to block the dark presence from her mind, but it was persisting. She had had enough of Kylo and his attempts to manipulate her. She had fallen for it for far too long.

"Hey, you okay?" Finn asked, gently touching Rey's shoulder.

Rey found herself reaching for Finn's hand and nodded.

"It's just, I know they're coming for us. Kylo and the Emperor."

"Kylo's been trying to mess with us from day one," Finn replied, "No more."

"I hope not," Rey said determinedly. She now thought about her father, who was masking his own emotions in the Force, serving only as a beacon to guide her to him. How would he react to her now, after she had declared her hatred for him so long ago?

_Father._

She could hear him reply, though he was still many lightyears away.

_Rey._

Like Luke and his own father long ago, Rey was highly attuned to him, no matter what had happened before.

She would use that attunement for the greater good of the galaxy and the Force, and anything else attached to it would have to be dealt with later.

It seemed as though lately, Rey reflected, everything relating to her emotions was pushed to be dealt with later.

Once Kylo and the Emperor were defeated, she would no longer have an excuse to keep doing that.

She gazed ahead in silence as she continued to help steer the _Falcon, _guided by the Force beacon that was her bond with her father.

"We're getting closer," Rey said, sensing the Force beacon as though it was close enough to touch. They had passed hundreds of systems in the Outer Rim, as well as the Unknown Regions.

She turned around to face Finn curiously. "Do you sense the beacon?"

"Yeah, it's Luke," Finn replied, finding his own Force connection to his Master growing stronger. "He's reaching out to both of us."

Poe felt uneasy giving orders from the command ship rather than being in one of the fighters that were repelling the attack.

But he was fully in charge of the defense forces, and he had to see his duty through.

"All fighters, stay away from the Star Destroyer laser cannons," he said into the radio, "Draw the attention of as many TIEs as you can, and leave the bulk cruisers to us."

"Something's funny about the way they're moving," Connix observed, watching as the _Supremacy _led the armada forward, straight into the line of fire, "it's like they're not engaging us."

Indeed, the Star Destroyers were not attempting to repel the one-man Republic fighters, leaving them to the TIE pilots.

"We're losing fighters quickly out here!" reported Green Leader, "These First Order pilots are far more advanced than what we're used to!"

"If only Finn or Luke were here," Poe muttered, his feet shuffling on the deck.

Kylo Ren managed to retain command of his own body long enough to reach for the Sith Holocron from Moraband and grab it with the Force.

Before Sidious could hijack his autonomy once again, Kylo used the Force to slam the artifact against the wall near the electrical pole.

Sidious's hold over Kylo loosened, and Kylo felt a brief sense of relief as the dark aura drifted.

But then the holocron struck back, a shock of red-colored lightning tearing across the throne room and striking Kylo hard. He screamed as the energy burned his skin and bones, moving up and down in agony.

Sidious laughed before seizing Kylo's body again with his inhabiting spirit. Against his will, Kylo began to morph back into the young Dark Lord, who smiled sadistically.

"You will not free yourself of me so easily, fool," Sidious said, "It does not need to be painful at all, if only you would stop fighting."

On the command bridge of the _Supremacy's _remnants, Zorri Bliss oversaw the Sith Troopers who operated the Dreadnought's navigation system.

"Keep pushing through," she ordered them, "We're going straight for the Jedi."

The power of Snoke's command ship was greatly diminished, but it still approached the _Raddus _ominously as the Resistance cruisers opened fire.

"Go down!" Zorri Bliss shouted as the _Supremacy's _hangar took a massive hit, shaking it.

"It's going right under us!" Ackbar exclaimed. The rest of the Star Destroyers began to follow suit, swarming the Republic fleet like a stampede.

"Take evasive action now!" Poe yelled as the alarms sounded throughout the _Raddus, "_Evade!"

His feet shook under him as the crew steered the ship straight upwards, avoiding the brigade of Sidious's Sith Fleet.

"We're losing pilots out there!" one of the deck officers reported. Observing the TIEs, Poe realized he hadn't seen that skill outside of Luke or Rey. These enemy pilots must have been Force sensitive.

Screams rang out as the north tower of one of the Emperor's ships struck the bottom of the _Raddus._

The entire crusier teetered, causing Poe to lose his balance. He fell to the floor along with many crew members present, sliding towards the doorway leading out into the corridor.

Poe caught his foot on the side of the door before falling out into a hole that had been drilled by the passing Star Destroyer.

Connix slid down after him, nearly falling.

Instinctively, Poe grabbed both her arms, holding her in place.

With a grunt and a strain of his energy, Poe hauled her up as the _Raddus _stabilized.

Poe didn't realize he was holding Connix in his arms after pulling her to her feet until he took in the gaze of her eyes.

He was almost tempted to lean in before he remembered they were in the middle of something.

Rushing back to the command station, Poe switched the intercom back on and said, "All craft, follow their fleet!"

"Are you sure?" General Ematt inquired from one of the other ships.

"Yeah," Poe replied, "And it should be easy, since we know exactly where they're going."

The _Millennium Falcon _came smoothly into orbit of the tropical world of Iego, surrounded by too many moons to count.

"Any idea where to go from here?" Lando asked.

Rey pointed to a moon with a violet-colored atmosphere and many craters visible from a distance.

"My father's there," she said, taking several deep breaths to calm her nerves, "I can feel it."

"He knows we're here," Finn added as Lando flew the ship down towards Millius Prime, into the purple-colored clouds.

Rey observed the unusual dwellings under them, built around the craters. This was architecture unlike what she had ever seen.

And the glowing, winged figures roaming the land...even from down below, Rey felt an aura of calm and peace despite herself while gazing upon these beings.

"They're beautiful," Finn breathed.

A temple stood at the edge of a sea of plains, bordering a nearby village.

"He's there," Rey said, pointing to the labyrinth temple, where a towering statue was visible at the entryway.

Rey began to meditate, taking herself momentarily out of the place and time around her and focusing on her connection to the living Force.

Her father, Finn, and Kylo Ren aside, Rey knew she was facing a crossroad. This battle would be her defining moment as a Jedi, and as a warrior fighting for galactic freedom.

All the battles, adventures, everybody she'd met along the way, all of the revelations, they had led to this crucial part of time and space. And they were key to Rey's future.

Long before, Maz Kanata had told her that what she was looking for was not behind her, but ahead.

Rey had long waited on Jakku for her family to come back and get her, but now she saw the truth. It was not her path to wait and let her destiny come to her, it was up to her to move forwars and seize it.

Beyond even the father she had separated from long ago, Rey now had found her life. The life of a Jedi, and a crusader for peace and justice.

She thought about the young girl on Jakku, who had cried for the departing ship to come back. She remembered the tally marks that girl had made, counting the days she had been there.

Rey would not let that little girl down.

As Zorri Bliss continued to oversee the Sith Fleet's navigation, the helmeted Knight of Ren Melehan stalked onto the command bridge to join her.

"Have you sensed that Kylo is weaker now?" he asked her, "Something has seemed off about him since Coruscant."

"I felt it too," Bliss replied, "As if he was fighting a war in his own body."

"This may be a good time to strike against him," Melehan stated.

Bliss nodded. "Is Supreme Leader Snoke's secret weapon still aboard?"

Melehan nodded. "I was able to preserve it. All that's left is one missing piece."

"Kylo had that missing piece," Zorri Bliss replied, "He thought he could keep it hidden right under our noses."

"Where is it?" Melehan asked curiously.

Zorri Bliss walked off of the command bridge, beckoning for Melehan to follow. The rest of Snoke's dark warriors were waiting, and followed Zorri Bliss as she led them to a secret compartment in the empty quarters below the command bridge.

"This is the missing piece to the Supreme Leader's planned weapon," Bliss said, picking up a burnt, smouldering helmet.

This helmet was severely dented and charred, but the Knights could all sense the dark traces within it.

As Zorri Bliss held up the mask before them, the Knights of Ren stared into the harsh, unforgiving face of Darth Vader.

Followed by Artoo, Luke stepped out of the Chosen One's temple as the _Millennium Falcon _prepared to dock outside the courtyard.

He took a deep breath as he prepared to once again behold the daughter he had lost, found and lost again.

Chewbacca was the first one to come out of the _Falcon, _giving a loud roar and rushing excitedly towards Luke.

"Hey, Chewie," Luke could not help but chuckle as the Wookiee wrapped his body into a tight hug.

"Master Luke!" Threepio exclaimed, rushing out to greet his friend, "Artoo Deetoo! I was so worried about you both! My dear friends."

Artoo wheeled up to his longtime companion and whistled cheerfully.

"Oh, yes Artoo, I've always considered you my dear friend," Threepio replied fussily.

Luke smiled as Finn and Lando Calrissian came slowly out of the _Falcon. _He recognized the man immediately as Lando approached Luke.

"Hey, kid," Lando said affectionately, "I see the years have been kind to you. Nice beard."

Luke chuckled as he absently stroked the bushy beard around his face.

"Missed you, Lando," he said, "Good to see you."

"Boy, do we have some catching up," Lando remarked, "but first..."

"Master Skywalker," Finn bowed to his Jedi mentor, "I was honestly afraid you wouldn't..."

"Oh, stop," Luke replied, pulling his Padawan into an embrace.

When Luke let go of Finn, he came face to face with his daughter, who stared at him with intrigue.

When they had last met, Rey had sworn him off and left with Luke's fallen nephew. But now, she was back.

"I understand why you left," Luke said, the tears that came to his eyes catching him off guard, "You don't have to forgive me now. I'm just glad you're safe Rey. I failed you twice, and I'm sorry."

Rey found her lips frozen together, at a loss for words.

She could hardly balance the emotional turmoil plaguing her with the mission they both had to confront, the mission that had started generations before Rey had undertaken it.

"I know, Father," Rey replied, biting her lip to hold back the wave of emotions.

Luke gazed at her and realized what she was doing.

He nodded in understanding and moved on, gesturing to the building behind him.

"The Angels that live here built this temple for my father, Anakin," he said to the group, "It's dedicated to his triumph over the dark side and his role in the end of the Sith."

"Palpatine is going to bring the Sith back if we don't stop him," Rey said, "We can't let your father...my grandfather's sacrifice be in vain."

Until now, Rey had still thought of Anakin Skywalker as either Luke's father or a distant historical figure. Now she would also have to get used to the fact thag he was also her grandfather.

"Look!" Finn pointed to the purple sky, which was being covered with Dreadnoughts and TIE Fighters. The _Supremacy _was immediately recognizable, or what was left of it.

"I can feel him," Rey said, gazing up at the Sith Fleet surrounding the moon of Millius Prime, "All of them."

"The whole fleet is cursed by the dark side," Luke added, feeling for the lightsaber clipped to his belt.

Darth Sidious cackled as he grasped the Holocron which he had once depended on to maintain his consciousness. No longer.

He switched on the communicator attached to his throne and said in his youthful voice, "Prepare a landing party for the crater moon."

Nobody responded. Sidious frowned suspiciously, but otherwise kept his thoughts on the Jedi who waited below.

He had been foiled once, when he'd underestimated Vader's weakness for his son. Sidious had been caught unprepared then, failing to sense the betrayal that would come.

But now, Vader was gone, while Sidious had come back to life younger and stronger than ever. Nobody posed as a threat to him now.

Outside the Supreme Leader's throne room, Zorri Bliss concentrated on the electrical tower and raised her fist.

Sidious noticed the tower collapsing and leapt out of the way with a furious yell.

For a moment, the Dark Lord was taken enough by surprise so that Kylo Ren could surface once again, igniting his red bladed weapon with a rush of adrenaline.

Kylo concentrated with all his might on restraining the other soul inhabiting his body, rushing at the Sith Holocron that had been dropped to the ground.

Kylo motioned with his lightsaber to slice the holocron, but he suddenly crumpled to the floor, frozen on his stomach.

The voice of Sidious rang out, cackling.

Zorri Bliss entered the throne room, her electric staff at the ready.

She was followed by the ranks of the Knights of Ren, surrounding the weakened Kylo.

"You've escaped from us for too long, Kylo," Bliss said, "We're not letting you go this time."

"Kylo Ren is no more," Kylo replied, unable to stop his own lips from moving, "Your pathetic skills are no match for my power."

Kylo staggered forward, his body shape-shifting once more into the younger Emperor, who used the Force to lift the fallen electrical tower.

At that moment, Sith Troopers burst into the throne room, summoned by Lord Sidious by telepathic command.

The Knights of Ren raised their staffs and vibroblades to do battle with these Force soldiers. Many more were coming at every second...

"Now!" Zorri Bliss hollered as she drove her staff into the chest of an advancing Sith Trooper.

Sidious/Kylo turned to find a crack appearing in the wall alongside the throne.

As the dark Knights continued to do battle with Sidious's enchanted army, a large portion of the wall was carved open by a mysterious force.

"No!" Sidious gasped as he saw the figure that entered through the hole in the wall that had been cut open. "It can't be!"

His helmet and armor were obviously burnt, and he was missing his cape, but the suit of armor entering the room undoubtedly belonged to Lord Vader.

The Republic vessels wasted no time in their pursuit of Sidious's assembled fleet.

"Engage!" Poe Dameron ordered, glaring furiously at the _Supremacy_ as it orbited the system of Iego. It was time for the First Order to burn, along with everything that it stood for.

If the Resistance was the spark to ignite the fire, then the fire was now wild. The game of chasing back and forth was over.

"We will not rest until those ships are debris in the vacuum of space," Poe declared, motioning for the ammunition crew of the _Raddus _to concentrate fire on the nearest Star Destroyer.

"Look out?

The Star Destroyer had blown an hole into the _Raddus's _engine, causing the ship to tremble.

Poe and Connix grabbed on to one another as the room tipped to the side, the power switching on and off.

Poe gazed at the many Star Destroyers turning their attention to the Resistance command ship, ignoring the other Republic vessels.

He gulped, mulling over the plan forming in his mind before saying, "We're going to have to abandon ship."

"What?" Connix asked in surprise.

"All personnel, get to as many ships and fighters as you can. All craft needs to be off of this command ship and engaged in combat. We won't do much good in here. We're going to use this ship as a decoy while we pick off their Dreadnoughts one by one."

The men and women aboard the _Raddus _immediately rushed out of the command station towards the hangar, careful to avoid the hole that had been created by the passing Dreadnought.

"Guess this is it," Connix said, catching Poe off guard.

"I...yeah," he replied.

All of the sudden, Connix leaned in and gave Poe a kiss on the lips. Poe found himself kissing back without thinking about it.

Then, he pulled away and they both rushed towards the hangar where their respective transports were waiting.

"Let's go, BB8," Poe said as the little droid followed him along with the crowd of Rebels hurrying to their ships.

"See you on the other side," Poe called out to Connix as BB8 climbed up the X Wing fighter into his socket.

Connix gave him a respectful, formal salute before disappearing into her carrier.

Poe slid his helmet on before climbing into the cockpit of his X Wing, wasting no time lifting off.

Watching the space battle from the surface of Millius Prime, Lando said, "Guess that's our cue."

"Good luck out there, Lando," Luke said, "And of course Chewie."

Chewie growled affectionately, ruffling Luke's hair as if he were a young boy.

After exchaning farewells with Rey and Finn, Chewbacca followed Lando onto the ramp of the _Millennium Falcon _and disappeared inside.

The trio watched as the ship lifted into the sky to join the battle that was just visible through the purple clouds.

"Bombers, follow me," Poe said, manuvering his X Wing under a large Sith cruiser. He led the craft straight towards the _Supremacy, _which itself appeared to be crumbling from within.

"We're going to take out their lead ship first," Poe said into his X Wing's radio, "Everything else will collapse without the Emperor."

The Sith trooper sergeant overseeing the _Supremacy's _command bridge shouted, "We got bombers coming up on our upper tower!"

"They got me!" one of the bomber pilots shouted as the craft was torn apart by cannonfire.

More TIE Fighters were swarming the area, beginning to outnumber the bombing team...

BB8 made a fearful comment from the wing of Poe's vehicle.

"Yeah, we're in trouble all right, BB8," Poe replied, looking around with concern.

As Poe opened fire on the approaching TIEs, another ship sped through the ranks of the Sith Fleet, forcing the enemy fighters to change direction at a moment's notice.

"Keep going right through them, Chewie," Lando said, firing the _Falcon's _guns at the Emperor's fleet.

"Rogue Leader to _Falcon," _Poe said, trying to muster some enthusiasm, "Do you copy?"

"I copy loud and clear, Colonel," Lando replied, "Let Chewie and me clear a path for you and your bombers and you worry about this giant pain in the butt!"

Poe chuckled, leading the parade of bombers underneath the hull of the _Supremacy. _He managed to fit his X Wing into a tunnel created by the damage that Hux's initial attack had dealt.

The Resistance bombers followed suit, evading the laser cannons targeting them.


	13. Chapter XIII

As the fight between his Sith Troopers and the Knights of Ren continued, Darth Sidious stared down the damaged armor of Vader.

What was inside the suit, he wondered? Was it a trick of the Force? A piece of sorcery he had yet to discover. Was Vader inside that armor?

"Vader is dead," Sidious said aloud as the hollow suit of armor started coming his way across the throne room, "This is nothing."

Sidious raised his hand and let out a jet of blue Force lightning. It had killed Vader once, and this pale imitation would fare no better.

The lightning struck the false Vader, but it did not break stride.

Sidious ignited Kylo Ren's lightsaber and prepared to attack, but the burnt obsidian suit raised a hand.

Sidious screamed in fury as he found himself flying backwards. He landed on the floor as Vader's suit advanced.

Kylo Ren returned to his own consciousness, gaping at the assembled pieces of Vader's armor.

"Grandfather," he muttered in awe.

"Did you think you could keep it hidden from us?" Zorri Bliss asked as she cut down two Sith Troopers with her staff, "You've been hiding the last piece to complete the weapon Snoke was planning."

Kylo tried to stand, but the Vader armor used the Force to keep him pinned.

Striking at another Sith Trooper who had begun to attack her, Zorri Bliss advanced on Kylo, staring down at him sadistically.

"Time to get rid of you," she said. Before Bliss could drive her staff into Kylo, the Vader armor sent her bouncing up towards the ceiling, knocking her to the ground with a hard thud.

The weakened Zorri Bliss stared in astonishment as the Vader armor advanced on the rest of the Knights, levitating them all into the air along with the remaining Sith Troopers.

Down on the surface of Millius Prime, Rey and Finn stood watching Luke with amazement.

Luke was deep in concentration, his hand raised towards the sky where the _Supremacy _was leading the Sith Fleet in battle against the Republic forces.

"What's he doing?" Finn asked, "It looks like he's somehow using the Force to manipulate the battle."

"That's not it," answered Rey, studying her father intently, "He's summoning something or someone for help."

Luke could not hear the two younger Jedi, his mind forming yet another connection with the Force, this time beyond the physical realm...

Kylo Ren managed to climb to his feet as the Vader armor kept a hold of the Knights and Sith Troopers.

He clenched his three-pointed lightsaber and rushed towards the Sith Holocron which was forgotten on the floor of the throne room.

All around him, the walls and floor erupted into smoke and flame.

The brigade of Resistance bombers followed Poe's lead as he flew his X-Wing fighter around the hull of the _Supremacy._

"Bombs away!" reported a voice into Poe's intercom.

"Watch out for flying debris!" the colonel replied as the massive Dreadnought began to crumble into pieces.

The burnt Vader simulation stumbled as the entire throne room broke off from the rest of the _Supremacy _and became engulfed in flames.

Several of the Knights of Ren were cut off from the throne room, left to burn in the debris...

_"_We got them!" Poe crowed, "Now everybody get clear!"

In front of the Angels' temple, Luke maintained his concentration as a chunk of the _Supremacy _the size of a large asteroid descended in a ball of fire towards the surface of Millius Prime. The burning debris was crumbling into smaller and smaller pieces as it spread across the moon's atmosphere.

"They did it," Finn said as he and Rey watched the _Supremacy _burn in the sky, "Finally."

"Sidious is still alive," Rey replied, "I can still feel his presence. He's coming closer, with Kylo Ren."

Finn patted the lightsaber on his belt with confidence. "Then we do our job as Jedi."

"Finn, you've gotten a lot stronger with the Force," Rey said, admiring him. For the first time, she appreciated how much her friend had grown, now a Jedi alongside her father. She, on the other hand, had lost her way, manipulated and confused...

"Don't feel bad," Finn told her, sensing her guilty emotions, "Kylo led you astray, and you saw him for what he is."

"I won't let him manipulate me again," Rey replied, "My destiny is mine alone. I'm done waiting for anybody else to decide my path."

"And that alone tells me how ready you are to claim the role and duties of a Jedi," Luke said.

Rey and Finn flinched as they realized he had come out of his semi-trance.

"The knowledge of a thousand generations is with you," Luke said to his daughter, "I know you are going to prove yourself worthy."

"Thank you, Maste...Father," Rey replied, smiling for the first time at Luke. "I'll do you proud as well."

"More important, do yourself proud," Luke replied.

A loud, violent crash came from the other side of the large Angel temple, causing Artoo Deetoo to shriek in alarm.

Large clouds of black and gray smoke came from the site of the wreckage, in the distance. Pieces of the ruined Dreadnought were flying into the air as the temple caught fire from deep within.

"I can feel him," Rey said, "He knows we're here."

"Let's go confront him then," Finn replied eagerly.

"Yes," Luke said, "but this time, on our terms."

Without stopping to ponder any more, the three Jedi entered the temple with Artoo following closely behind. The darkness was engulfing around them along with the smoke and ashes from the wreckage.

Kylo Ren found himself sprawled on the floor of the ruins of his throne room.

Looking up, he saw nothing but smoke and ash. He coughed as he weakly climbed to his feet, staggering forward.

Gazing around the area around the wrecked throne room, Kylo could decipher that he was in a courtyard, surrounded by a circular building of some kind.

He sensed that several of the Knights were still alive and in the area, but he also sensed three presences that immediately drew anger from him.

"Skywalker," he growled.

Kylo immediately howled in pain as Sidious returned, his appearance resurfacing.

"Yes, yes, the Jedi are here," the Emperor said, "And now I shall do the job you could not complete."

Rubble from the _Supremacy _had fallen into many places within the temple's labyrinth, leaving several spots in ruin.u

Luke, Rey and Finn walked carefully through the wreckage, avoiding little spots within the labyrinth that had been lit on fire.

"Hold it," Luke said, putting up his hand.

"I feel it too," Rey replied. She ignited her lightsaber as Finn did the same.

As Sith Troopers entered the area, Rey felt her throat closing as she was lifted off the ground.

Finn likewise struggled as another Sith Trooper held him in a Force-choke.

Rey hurled her lightsaber at the red-armored man who had telekinetically grabbed her, driving her blue blade into his plated thigh.

Luke, meanwhile, was using the Force to send back waves of Sith Troopers flooding the area.

Rey and Finn batted aside shots from their blasters as they made their way to disable the troopers attacking them.

Kylo fell to his knees as he tried to use the Force to keep out the spirit haunting him.

"You may resist now, but in the end it is pointless," Sidious's voice told him.

Searching desperately with his eyes, Kylo found the red holocron, glowing through the glare of the fog around him.

He used the Force to summon it to him, but the Sith artifact slipped out of his grasp and fell to the ground.

"The more anger you produce, the more control I will gain," the Emperor taunted, his youthful face resurfacing on Kylo's features.

Kylo concentrated with the Force, fighting to keep the Emperor out of him. If he could just destroy the source of Sidious's power...

"Are we getting any closer?" Finn shouted as the three of them continued to fight their way through the Sith Troopers.

"His presence is still a ways off!" Rey answered as she cut off a trooper's arm after he had closed his fingers around her throat.

Luke was not using his lightsaber, but using the Force to push the enemy soldiers aside, leaving very few for Rey and Finn to fight off.

"We've reached a clearing!" he said, Force-pushing eight Sith Troopers at once.

Rey and Finn followed him into the room, which led into two different passageways.

"Which way do we go?" Finn asked, using his lightsaber to repel an attack from another Sith Trooper.

Rey looked between both exits, and felt a small dosage of Force lightning hit her from behind.

Rey cried out and turned around to face the soldier who had attacked her, cutting his hands off before Finn could plunge his own weapon into the Sith Trooper.

"You two stay here and hold them off!" Luke said, "I'm going to find Kylo and the Emperor!"

He pushed aside three red troopers standing in the way, beginning to run down the left passageway.

"Wait!" Rey shouted before she could stop herself.

Another Sith Trooper raised his hand, and Finn severed his arm as Rey spoke.

"They're going to keep coming," Luke said, "And somebody has to stop the Emperor. I'm the only one of us who can face him alone."

"He's right," Finn said, Force pushing away the next group of Sith Troopers, "I hate to say it, but he's right."

Rey looked between Finn and Luke and took a deep breath.

"Be careful, Father," she said.

Luke smiled slightly and nodded before disappearing.

Rey watched her father go for the tiniest bit of a second before turning her attention back to the continuously incominy Sith Troopers.

"Where are these...men...coming from?" Finn asked as he batted aside several blaster shots coming his way.

"They're part of the Emperor's powers," Rey replied, "They're enchanted by the dark side. I faced them before, on Moraband when Kylo and I found the Sith Temple where Sidious kept his secrets."

"Do you think he can take the Emperor by himself?" Finn asked, concerned about his friend and mentor.

"You would know that better than I would," Rey said ruefully, "You've trained under him while I was running around with the Emperor's new pet."

"This way!" Finn started running through the clearing towards the safest passageway in sight. Rey finished off the last of their attackeds and followed, keeping a firm grip on her lightsaber.

"They've destroyed our command ship," Green Leader reported as the herd of Resistance vehicles swarmed between the bulky Star Destroyers targeting them.

"That's the plan," Poe replied, "General Calrissian, you there?"

"Still with you, kid," Lando replied from the cockpit, "Got Goldenrod flying copilot, if you can believe it. Chewie's our best chance taking out those fighters."

Indeed, Threepio was seated next to Lando in the copilot's seat while Chewbacca was hard at work in the gunner statuon, blasting down any TIE Fighters in sight.

"I'm enjoying this quite a bit more than expected," Threepio mused.

"Yeah, that's great," Poe replied, "Listen, patch a signal to all Republic command ships. Tell them to vacate completely, get all personnel aboard armed transport and join the fight."

From the _Falcon, _Lando patched in a signal to the other Republic cruisers and said, "_Millennium Falcon, does anyone read me?"_

"Copy that, General."

"We hear you, General Calrissian."

"Colonel Dameron wants a complete evacuation from all vessels," Lando said into the radio, "I repeat clear out of all vessels. We'll be launching an assault on their Dreadnoughts with all smaller craft."

Sure enough, the Sith Trooper crew members were concentrating their fire on the Republic cruisers that were now being emptied of any transport. As many Resistance and Republic personnel as possible were being loaded on carriers, while an increasing number of fighters took to the space battle.

Prowling through the maze, Luke reached out with the Force, trying to get a feel for the presence of his old enemy. He sensed that his nephew was fighting back against Palpatine's takeover of his body, but the Emperor would soon win.

Luke had to stop them both. He shifted his focus to Kylo, and found a signal from the Force.

He knew Kylo's Force aura well, he had trained the younger man for four years before Ben Solo had been corrupted by the dark side.

Luke had tried before to redeem Ben, or at least get him to see sense. The boy had not budged.

While he still hoped for a way to save Ben from the wrath of the Emperor, Luke knew that Rey, as well as Finn, had to come first. He would not whatever desire he still had to save Ben's soul get in the way

He followed the trail that led him to Kylo Ren and hurried down the twisted passageway.

"I think we got rid of them," Finn said, slowing down and switching off his lightsaber.

Rey stopped and looked around cautiously, switching off her blade as well.

"I think we might be lost," she said, keeping her lightsaber hilt gripped firmly in her right hand.

"I don't feel Master Skywalker's presence anymore," Finn said, scanning around the elaborate maze.

Rey suddenly felt a chill, realizing that something was wrong. Two powerfull dark presences had come to them.

The sound of a lightsaber humming came forth as a man emerged from the smoke.

The man carried Kylo Ren's three-pointed lightsaber, which was glowing through the fog.

This young man inhabited Kylo's body, but he was not Kylo. His sinister smile reminded Rey of the Sith spirit she had encountered on Moraband. It was him, she realized.

On second nature, Rey and Finn turned their blue-blades weapons back on and stood cautiously on guard.

Rey's heart pounded with anticipation as the young, resurrected Darth Sidious spoke.

"Rey Skywalker. I lured your father away with a false aura in the Force, and he took the bait. Now, you are helpless."

Rey looked sideways to Finn, and they met each other's gaze. Her initial fear subsiding, Rey answered, "Wrong," and rushed at the Sith Lord along with Finn.

The Emperor raised one hand while keeping Kylo's lightsaber in a defensive position.

"Look out!" Rey screamed.

A chunk of the passageway wall slid directly towards Finn from the side. He leapt out of the way as Sidious used the Force to turn the labyrinth wall to crush Finn, who dove away from the collision, disappearing.

"No!" Rey cried out desperately, "Finn!" The Emperor had separated her from her friend, and now she stood alone against him.

Sidious cackled as he raised the red lightsaber.

Rey lunged at the Emperor again, lightsaber ready to deflect any lightning he might send her way.

The Emperor raised a hand, making a fist.

Rey choked as she felt her throat closing, clawing at her neck as Darth Sidious lifted her into the air.

"You are powerful, girl, but your knowledge will not be enough."

Rey tried to speak, but could not. She thought back to her time training with Kylo, and how she'd learned to tap into the dark side.

Rey hated to return to that point in her life, but she was close to dying slowly at the hands of a long-dead villain. She needed to survive first.

Reaching within and focusing on her anger towards her foe, Rey managed to summon her lightsaber with the Force. With a shout, she advanced quickly on the Sith Lord, who raised his hands to launch a lethal torrent of lightning as Rey slashed at his knee.

To her surprise, Sidious went straight down, his appearance changing as he fell onto his back, dropping his lightsaber.

Rey stepped back in shock as Kylo Ren's features reassembled on his body. He looked up at her in fear and desperation.

"You have to help me...please..."

"Why should I help you?" Rey demanded furiously, "After everything you've done? After you tricked me and used me? I'm through with you, Kylo!"

"Please..." Kylo gasped pitifully, "He's taking over..."

Rey didn't bother to listen further. She swung her lightsaber downward towards Kylo, who summoned his own weapon back to him.

He kicked Rey in the shin, forcing her to stumble backwards as he regained his footing.

Rey prepared to charge him again, but Kylo quickly made up the ground between them, striking again and again.

Rey refused to relent, putting all of her aggression into her saber techniques and stance.

A loud, evil laugh rang throughout the labyrinth.

"Listen, you have to let go," Kylo said, "He's going to take over."

Rey kicked at Kylo's stomach, catching him hard in the gut. Kylo grunted and staggered backwards before retaliating. Rey leaned backwards to avoid his lightsaber, before swinging her own weapon hard against it.

Kylo's blade was pushed sideways, enough so that Rey could manage to slash his shoulder.

Kylo cried out as Rey dealt the wound, staggering into the wall.

He began to change again, the young Palpatine taking form again.

"Ah, of course, the other heir," he said, "The two carriers of Skywalker's bloodline. Both of you carry great potential."

Sidious groaned as Kylo fought hard, transforming back and forth.

Puzzled, Rey merely watched in confusion as the two dark beings wrestled for control of Ben Solo's body.

"Help..." Kylo repeated, slumping against the wall, "Help me."

Rey's weapon wavered as she realized that her enemy was defenseless.

"I need to...get him out..." Kylo said, "He's going to be...young again...and stronger than before...the Emperor..."

Rey looked down at Kylo through the glow of her blue blade. A small twinge of pity was beginning to mix with her revulsion.

"Rey!" Luke Skywalker had found his daughter again, and came into the clearing through the passageway into which he had disappeared.

Rey and Kylo both turned their attention to Luke.

Kylo's feelings of hatred were building at the sight of his uncle and former Master.

"You!" he yelled, twitching pathetically on the floor.

Sidious was back, taking advantage of Kylo's dark rage directed at Luke Skywalker.

Before Rey or Luke could make a move, Sidious hit the former scavenger with a lethal dosage of lightning. The intense crackles of energy tore into Rey's body, driving wrenching pain into her.

The girl screamed as Sidious tortured her mercilessly, yelling in savage pleasure.

"No!" Luke cried out in terror. He raised his hand and used the Force to send the Emperor sliding backwards.

Rey flew across the clearing and crashed into the wall, falling limp to the ground. She was barely stirring now, very weak and breathing lightly.

From afar, Finn could hear Rey's screams of pain and agony.

"Rey!" he cried out, running in the direction of her voice, "Rey!"

He ran into the face of a wall, then looked left to find another doorway. Finn dashed through it, determined to come help before it was too late. All of the sudden, he found himself coming to a halt against his will.

Finn's body slammed against the wall, sending him to his knees with a grunt. Raising his lightsaber, Finn turned to find Zorri Bliss advancing on him.


	14. Chapter XIV

Poe could hardly stop for breath as he led the massive brigade of Resistance fighters and gunships towards the next Star Destroyer, with the _Millennium Falcon_ covering any TIE Fighters on his tail.

"Release the bombs!" Poe instructed. The bombers obeyed as they flew over the Dreadnough, Poe blasting at the cannons.

"We got them, BB8," Poe said as his little droid whistled in triumph. "_Falcon, _you there?"

"Still here, Colonel," Lando replied, "My baby's never let me down yet."

"This is quite a thrill, I must confess," Threepio chimed in.

"Watch out for debris!" Gold Leader exclaimed as flaming chunks of Star Destroyer came hurling towards the fleet.

Poe veered his X-Wing sideways, causing BB8 to squeal.

The majority of the Sith Fleet was still concentrating fire on the Republic cruisers while the fighters snuck up on them.

"Hold on!" Poe said, "We still have a ways to go!"

Finn stood against the wall of the maze, facing Zorri Bliss with his lightsaber in a defensive position.

"So you're Skywalker's pet," Bliss taunted, "The traitor who deserted the First Order."

"The First Order's dead," Finn replied, "The Jedi are back, and we will win."

Zorri Bliss didn't bother to reply, but jabbed at him with her staff.

Finn moved his lightsaber to slice it in half, but Zorri Bliss was fast, striking him hard in the leg.

Finn howled as the electrical surge drove through his nerves, staggering in pain.

Zorri Bliss lunged at him again, but Finn was ready this time. He pushed her staff away with his blade and pivoted.

Bliss charged, and Finn raised a hand to Force-push her away. She flew backwards and barely managed to land on her feet.

Finn rushed at her, swinging his lightsaber. Zorri Bliss kicked him in the side, knocking Finn against the wall. She brought her staff down to strike Finn in the head, but he rolled out of the way and it hit the ground instead.

Finn regained his footing and waited as Zorri Bliss rushed at him again. He moved his lightsaber down on her staff and sliced it clean in half.

Zorri Bliss gaped in shock and backed away from Finn.

She reached towards a chunk of debris from the _Supremacy's _throne room and used the Force to hurl it at Finn. He jumped over the debris as it crashed into the floor, then sprang back at Zorri Bliss, swiping his lightsaber through her wrists before she could react.

Zorri Bliss gasped in pain, sinking to her knees helplessly.

Finn stood over her with his lightsaber wavering before moving on.

All of the sudden, Finn sensed danger behind him.

He turned to confront the massive hoarde of Sith Troopers opening fire.

The handless Zorri Bliss was struck in the head and crumpled to the floor. Finn backed away, batting away the dozens of bolts flying towards him.

Emperor Palpatine crawled to his feet as Luke advanced on him, his green blade glowing amid the debris.

"Look at you, Skywalker," Palpatine taunted, "Old and weary. You thought you had won, when your father died for you. But I am more powerful than either you or he could have ever predicted."

Luke raised his weapon above his head and advanced.

Sidious raised his hands again and unleashed another deadly stream of dark energy.

Luke gripped his lightsaber with his metallic hand while raising his organic hand to absorb the lightning.

The dosage was more than he'd been prepared for.

A small amount of the lightning struck Luke in the arm, causing him to cry out and draw back.

Palpatine pressed his advantage, leaping at Luke with Kylo's lightsaber.

Still recovering from the Force lightning, Luke backed away, slashing his lightsaber left and right to repel the attack.

"Kylo Ren's hatred towards you will allow me to seize total control of his body," Palpatine said, "The might of the Sith will return to the galaxy."

"The Sith are always doomed to fail," Luke replied, "Everytime you strike, the Jedi strike back. You will never extinguish the light from the universe."

Palpatine advanced on Luke with the cross-shaped lightsaber built by Kylo Ren, growing impatient.

Luke held his own saber close to him as he tried to push back the Emperor's assault.

Rey's eyes fluttered as her bones ached from the pain. She was barely conscious, and unable to move her body.

Luke felt himself wearing down as the young Palpatine pressed his attack. Breathing heavily and sweating, he backed away and moved around in a circle as the two duelists reached the courtyard where Luke had first awakened.

Luke coughed from the smoke that had resulted from the debris of the _Supremacy _hitting the temple.

The younger Palpatine was more powerful than even he could have predicted. Luke was at a draw, he realized.

Finn was struggling to fend off the attacking Sith Troopers as they pursued him through the labyrinth. He did not have a second of time as he constantly moved his lightsaber back and forth to defend against the hails of laserfire illuminating the labyrinth.

Finn's deflected shots struck back at the Force-sensitive soldiers, but he was barely able to keep up with the overwhelming number of Sith Troopers surrounding him.

Panting, Finn bent his knees as he moved his arms and hands with more speed than he had in him. Then, a sharp, searing pain struck his arm and shoulder and he fell onto his back defeated, crying out in pain.

But death didn't come. Before the Sith Troopers could finish Finn off, several jets of white, glowing light struck the batallion members, cutting through their red armor.

The wounded Finn looked up to find dozens of Angels armed with bows shooting at the Sith Troopers, who were instantly diverted from Finn.

Wincing from the pain of his wound, Finn pressed his back against the wall and slid upwards.

The Angels were quickly overpowering Darth Sidious's army. Some of the Sith Troopers were now using light dosages of Force lightning to combat the natives, but it was of little use.

Finn smiled weakly as the lead Angel beckoned to him.

"Come this way."

Staggering, Finn followed the army of Angels as they proceeded down the labyrinth passageway.

He could feel his wound healing, almost as if the presence of the Angels was giving him strength.

Finn could not help but glance around in awe of these strangely beautiful creatures as he followed them through the labyrinth.

As Luke continued his vigorous lightsaber duel against the Emperor, he began to concentrate on a link he had previously formed to the Netherworld of the Force.

Keeping Palpatine at bay with his lightsaber, Luke closed his eyes and focused.

Vader's enchanted armor emerged from the wreckage of the _Supremacy's _throne room, walking along down the passageway. It was now operating independent of dark side control, despite Snoke's original purpose for the suit.

With a rush of adrenaline, Luke pulled his lightsaber back before striking hard against his younger opponent. Palpatine was caught off guard, forcing him to stumble backwards.

Luke took the opportunity and raised his foot, kicking the Emperor in the stomach.

Palpatine grunted and slid backwards to catch his footing.

Backing away into a passageway, Palpatine raised his hand to the sky, grinning viciously.

Luke turned around to find over one hundred Sith Troopers coming out of the corridors into the temple courtyard. They were quickly advancing, training their weapons towards him.

Not even Luke could repel that many warriors, and not in his current condition.

Taking advantage of Luke's distracted condition, Palpatine unleashed another stream of dark side energy, catching Luke causing him to cry out in pain.

Luke raised his hand and used the Force to push Palpatine away.

Palpatine fell hard against the corridor wall, temporarily stunned.

Luke turned to face the Sith Troopers as they opened fire. He used his green blade to deflect the hundreds of shots coming his way, panting exhaustedly.

Just as the Emperor returned to his feet, a horde of Angels came flying into the fray, firing their bows at the Sith army.

The Sith Troopers were forced to concentrate their fire on the Angels as Luke moved to deflect Palpatine's saber attack.

Palpatine Force-jumped away from Luke and began to run.

Confused, Luke raced after him past the battling Angels and Sith Troopers.

Palpatine used the Force to lift up the crumpled body of Rey.

"NO!" Luke screamed as Rey flew helplessly across the courtyard, suspended in front of Palpatine.

He charged forward, but Palpatine gripped Rey's forehead with his hand. Rippling jets of red light streamed from Palpatine's arm into Rey's body.

Luke watched in bewilderment as his daughter began to stir.

Rey's appearance was rapidly changing. Her body was becoming larger and taking the shape of a man.

Before Luke could do anything to stop it, Rey had taken the shape of Darth Sidious.

Forgotten amid the burning wreckage, the Sith Holocron shined brightly as its power was applied.

Luke gaped in horror as Palpatine laughed wickedly.

"It is too late, Skywalker," he laughed, "My spirit rests in your daughter as well as your nephew. Now, the story of the Skywalker bloodline comes to an end."

Immediately, Rey was transformed back into herself, while Palpatine screamed in pain, dropping his lightsaber and clutching his head.

The Vader suit of armor fell to the courtyard ground and an apparition hovered out of it towards Luke, Rey and Palpatine.

A ghostly hand touched Palpatine's forehead, causing him to collapse onto the ground.

Luke watched in amazement as Kylo Ren's features resurfaced on his unconscious body. He looked up at the ghostly form of his father, Anakin Skywalker.

The Chosen One had returned to bring balance to the Force once more.

"Another one down!" Lando reported as the bombers followed Poe's lead from the burning wreckage of another Star Destroyer.

The bulk crusiers were having a difficult time keeping up with the hundreds of small vehicles flying between them, often causing them to collide with one another in confusion.

"I have a good feeling about this," Poe replied as his X-Wing narrowly avoided the tip of a Star Destroyer, which instead sliced into another Dreadnought.

Resistance pilots and personnel cheered in their fighters, shuttles, and carriers as Dreadnought after Dreadnought exploded, the debris flying all over the vacuum of space.

"We did it!"

"Did I mention how much I've come to enjoy space travel?" Threepio asked as he and Lando piloted the _Falcon _away from the burning chunks of durasteel.

Chewbacca gave a triumphant roar as he blasted TIE Fighter after TIE Fighter.

"Let's get clear!" Poe said into the radio of his X-Wing, quickly flying away from the wreckage.

BB8 squealed in delight as Poe evaded the shots from an incoming TIE bomber, which was then taken out by Chewie in the _Falcon._

_"_Father," Luke said, gazing at the ghostly form of Anakin Skywalker.

Anakin smiled at his son. The Skywalker patriarch looked young in death, but his eyes were those of a much older man with much experience in the world's hardships and tragedies.

"Hello, son," Anakin said, "It's good to see you."

Luke groaned from the pain of his injuries and fell onto one knee.

"Easy there," Anakin said.

"There's so much to say," Luke said, not knowing where to begin.

"I have to move quickly," the older Skywalker replied, "There isn't much time."

And so Luke watched as Anakin's shimmering form drifted over the unconscious Kylo Ren and slid into his body.

When Kylo Ren could see and think again, he found himself in a glowing landscape that continually shifted from blue to red in color.

When he stood up onto his feet, Kylo realized that he was standing on solid ground, though none was visible beneath his boots.

Kylo gazed around to find a single figure approaching him from the mist.

"I've been trying to reach you for some time," the newcomer said as he came into view, "but you would not let me."

Anakin Skywalker appeared as he had as a young Jedi Knight, with a scar running down one side of his face and long, rebellious hair.

Kylo felt only disbelief and awe as he regarded the sight of his grandfather, his idol for many years.

"It's really you," he said, unable to stop himself from dropping onto one knee, "All the stories, from my mother, from Master Skywalker, from Snoke..."

Anakin smiled sadly, deep wisdom etched in his youthful face.

"I've come to help you Ben, if you'll accept it."

Not long ago, Kylo would have ridiculed help from a ghost, even the grandfather he had once admired.

"Where are we?" Kylo asked, feeling small and meek like a child in the presence of his legendary grandfather.

"This is a bridge, between your consciousness and the Netherworld of the Force," Anakin replied, "Sidious's hijacking of your brain was slowly killing you. If we move quickly, I can purge him from your body and keep him at bay."

"Grandfather, I need you," Kylo said, "He's taken over my body. He's going to do terrible things to Rey, and everyone. I let him use me!"

"Using people is Sidious's game," Anakin replied, "Like you, I was a pawn of his for many years until my son finally showed me the light. Until that moment, I thought I had no destiny beyond Sidious. I was consumed by the darkness for a long time, until Luke reminded me of what it is to be human. To feel love and compassion, many things I had long forgotten."

Kylo listened, pondering everything. His uncle, who had deemed him unworthy...

The cackle of Darth Sidious rang throughout the scene.

Lightning flashed as the black, hooded figure of Sidious appeared, his face aged and deformed.

"I see the failed apprentice has returned," Sidious taunted, "First a failure as a Jedi, and then as a Sith. You were always weak, Anakin Skywalker. You were nothing but a lost, pathetic boy before I took you in! And you are nothing still, while I kept the secret you desperately craved."

"I won't let you use my family anymore, Palpatine," Anakin replied with a tone both calm and harsh, "You've put me and the ones I love into your games for too long. I'm going to put a stop to it."

"You tried to defeat me once, when you crumbled to your weakness," Sidious snarled, "But I alone have unlocked the power to achieve death. The power that I knew all along, that kept you at my mercy all those years."

"There are powers that are greater than cheating death," Anakin replied, "Abilities that always eluded you and that only the light side can give."

"I have all the power in the galaxy," Sidious said, raising his gnarled hands.

A massive torrent of Force lightning came bounding towards Anakin, who raised his hand to deflect it.

The lightning was redirected back towards Sidious, who fired deadlier and deadlier bolts in his rage.

Kylo watched in astonishment as the two entities of light and dark did battle inside him.

Soon, bright light emerged from Anakin's hand and launched itself towards the Emperor, causing him to writhe and scream.

Kneeling beside the ailing Rey, Luke watched as Kylo returned to consciousness, gasping for air.

Anakin's shimmering form resurfaced in the courtyard arena as well, gazing down at his son ans grandchildren.

Immediately, Kylo's features changed into those of the younger Sidious.

"Once again, you lose," he sneered.

"Ben," Anakin said, "You have to let go of it. Your hatred, your vengeance, everything. I cannot get rid of him otherwise."

Kylo regained autonomy for a moment.

"I can't..." he gasped.

Sidious emerged once again, raising his hands towards Luke and Rey before Kylo took over.

"Grandfather...help..."

"Let go, Ben."

Kylo looked towards the kneeling Luke and the young woman whose head rested in front of him.

Cautiously, Luke raised a hand in preparation to defend himself and Rey.

Anakin looked regretfully at his grandson.

"If you cannot let go, there is only one other way to destroy the Sith."

"Help me..." Kylo gasped as he continued to fight against Sidious's hijacking.

"Your cousin Rey, still has enough light in her. She is very weak though. If we are to eliminate Darth Sidious, you must surrender your Force abilities. If I cannot get him out of you, then then you can help someone who can defeat him."

"No..." Kylo replied, "I am the...Supreme Leader...She is unworthy..."

"It's the only way, Ben," Anakin said, "I'm sorry.

"Grandfather, help!" Kylo cried.

"I'm trying," Anakin replied, "but if you don't go through with this, then there's no way. You must make the sacrifice."

"Never!" Kylo screamed, his pain fueling his rage, "My power is mine alone!"

Anakin's ghostly head turned between Rey and Kylo.

Filled with sorrow, Anakin replied, "Then you leave me no choice, grandson."

Anakin extended his hand, touching Kylo's forehead.

Kylo froze and looked up in shock.

"What are you doing?" he demanded.

"I tried to help you Ben," Anakin replied, "But you are not willing to reject the darkness. The hope for defeating Sidious rests with Luke's daughter now."

Luke watched as the jets of living Force were extracted from Kylo into Anakin's transparent hand.

"No, please!" Kylo begged.

Anakin released his grandson and drifted over to Luke and Rey.

"Only this can save her now," he told his son, placing his hand to Rey's temple.

"No!" Kylo screamed.

With a yell of rage, he reached his hand to his forgotten lightsaber, but it did not come to him.

Red-colored lightning filled the arena as Sidious spoke from his Sith Holocron.

"You are useless to me now, boy."

From the holocron, jets of dark energy spread towards Kylo as the ghost of Sidious grew larger in size, his yellow eyes glowing malevolently.

Kylo screamed as the lightning struck both him and his lightsaber, which burst into flames in a small explosion.

Kylo dropped back onto the ground as the lightning seared through him, tearing through his bones and organs.

Weakly, he laid on the ground on his back, gazing at the three Skywalkers. Blood poured out of his black robe due to the severity of his injuries.

Luke was still standing over Rey protectively as she began to stir, while Anakin continued the transfer.

Kylo had been abandoned again, by his grandfather this time. Now he would die, forgotten while his cousin seized the destiny that should have been his. His own family had once again cheated him.

He would remain unrepentant to the end, Kylo decided. He had nobody in the galaxy, and so he could only take pride in his accomplishments in service to the dark side.

As he faded away, Kylo took a sigh of relief, at peace now that it was all over.


	15. Skywalker XV

Once again, Rey could see nothing but blackness.

She was dead. Palpatine had killed her with his lightning. Rey had stood her ground to the end, but ultimately, she had not been able to withstand the power of the dark side.

At least she had reunited with Finn and reconciled with her father first.

The first thing Rey saw beyond pitch black was a face she had not seen in years.

"Hang on, Rey," Han Solo said, "It's going to be all right."

_Uncle Han? _Rey tried to say, but couldn't.

"You're going to be fine, kid," Han said.

_Han, wait! _Rey thought as Han's image disappeared.

And she snapped awake inside the temple courtyard on Millius Prime, gasping for air.

She was resting with her head in her father's lap as Luke cradled her gently.

Rey sat up and looked around. She saw Kylo's body sprawled a short distance away. She saw the glowing Sith Holocron taken from Moraband.

And she saw her father's tearful face.

"Rey," Luke said, "You're all right." To someone behind Rey, he added, "You saved her."

Rey turned to find a blue ghost gazing down at her with serenity far beyond his years.

"You're my grandfather," Rey said, knowing immediately, "Anakin."

The ghostly apparition replied, "Yes I am, kid."

"Did you...did you save me?" Rey asked with a rush of gratitude towards her grandfather.

"I extracted Ben's Force powers from his body and transferred them to you," Anakin replied, "That way, the living Force inside the midichlorians would heal you and give you strength."

"Yes, Skywalker, thank you for preparing me a new weapon," a familiar, sinister voice said.

Rey turned to find the ghost of Emperor Palpatine rising from the Holocron.

She reached for her lightsaber and activated it.

Sidious drifted across the courtyard towards Rey, cackling wickedly.

"Rey!" Luke cried out, reigniting his own green blade.

Rey could feel her nerves losing control as another soul entered her brain.

"What's happening?" she asked as she fought back with her Force powers.

"He's trying to possess you," Anakin said, "You have to destroy the source of his power."

Rey turned to the holocron and used the Force to summon it.

Instead, it flew in the opposite direction as Rey began to feel her body changing.

As the form of Darth Sidious took over Rey's body, Luke instinctively advanced with his lightsaber.

"It's a dead end, Skywalker," the twenty-three-year-old Emperor said, "You cannot strike me down without killing your precious child."

Luke reached towards the Holocron to summon it, but Rey/Palpatine attacked him with a stream of crackling energy, forcing him to deflect the lightning with his lightsaber and hand.

The Holocron disappeared out of sight as Luke tried to hold off the Emperor without harming Rey.

Unnoticed by anybody except Anakin, a dome-headed droid came through the mist and smoke, hoving in the air with his rocket-boosters and carrying the Sith Holocron via cable.

"Artoo!" Luke called out as Artoo dragged the holocron towards the Skywalkers.

"Oh, how I've missed that loose-wired little droid," Anakin said as Artoo brought the Holocron to them.

Sidious cried out and reached a hand towards the Holocron, causing it to emit streams of dark energy through Artoo Deetoo.

Artoo screeched and came crashing onto the ground, his body and head crumbling.

"No, Artoo!" Luke cried out.

Anakin remained calm, raising a shimmering hand.

Sidious relented his attack and cried out as his features disappeared from Rey's face and her body returned to its normal size and shape.

"I feel...weak..." Rey said as she felt the spirit of Sidious inside her.

"I can keep him at bay for you," Anakin said, "But you have to destroy the Holocron."

Rey reached towards the device to summon it, but her nerves did not obey.

Instead, she felt Sidious taking over again.

"It is too late," the Emperor said, "The dark side will always be supreme."

Anakin concentrated harder, using the Force to remove Sidious from Rey's body.

Before long, the smoky red apparition appeared in the courtyard, the yellow eyes drilling into Anakin.

"NOW!" Luke yelled.

Taking a breath, Rey reached out towards the Holocron as Sidious moved to repossess her.

Anakin raised a hand to stop him, causing Sidious to turn back to the Jedi spirit and unleash a torrent of red smoke and lightning.

Anakin raised his blue, ghostly hand and held back the dark energy, converting it into nothing.

Sidious continued to try and enter Rey, but Anakin used his spiritual powers to stop him.

Rey concentrated hard, pulling the Holocron away from Artoo's damaged body.

She lifted the Skywalker lightsaber as the Holocron flew towards her dangerously.

Seeing the glowing red artifact hovering, Rey realized that this was her moment of truth. This moment would define her as a Jedi, the way redeeming his father had defined Luke and killing the Emperor had defined Anakin.

Her father and grandfather were here, waiting for her to take her place beside them.

At that moment, Rey forgot them. She forgot everything but her lightsaber and the Holocron summoned to her with the Force.

Taking a swing with the lightsaber built by Anakin, Rey sliced clear through the Holocron, and with it, destroyed the last legacy of the Sith Lords.

"Get back!" Luke cried as columns of crimson smoke came pouring out.

Rey felt something lift her up and drag her far from the center of the arena.

At that moment, Finn appeared at the archway one of the corridors leading directly out of the temple.

"This way!" he called.

As Luke set her down, Rey noticed that Finn was accompanied by several armed Angel warriors.

"Come on!" Finn yelled.

Rey didn't move. She watched as Luke and Anakin together used the Force to levitate the broken pieces of Artoo Deetoo off the floor of the courtyard arena, barely visible amid the red-colored mist emitting from the bisected Holocron.

Rey went back closer as the two Skywalker men carried Artoo with their Force powers, unwilling to leave their droid behind.

"Rey, come on!" Finn said, grabbing her arm above the elbow.

Rey pulled away and watched, lifting her hand to help.

Luke looked over to his daughter and smiled ruefully as the broken parts of Artoo hovered into the archway above Rey and Finn's heads.

"Go on," Luke said to them, "Take Artoo with you. I'll be right there."

Rey hesitated.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Trust in him," Anakin advised, using the Force to keep the pieces of Artoo airborne, "It's time to go."

"What..." Finn asked in bewilderment, looking up and down at the Force ghost before him.

But Anakin led then along, guiding them through the corridors to the exit.

The temple began to shake as the Sith powers buried in the holocron took full effect.

Rey looked back in concern as she followed Finn, Anakin and Artoo out of the trembling building.

When they made it outside, Rey immediately saw dozens of Resistance and Republic transports coming out of the sky. Among them, she recongnized both the _Falcon _and Poe's X-Wing.

Chewie rushed back into the cockpit of the _Falcon and _scooped up Lando in a hug, letting out a triumphant roar.

Lando let out a whoop as he embraced both Threepio and Chewie, the _Falcon _docking on Millius Prine's surface.

The Resistance officers, pilots, soldiers and crew members came bursting out of their transports, crying out and embracing one another in celebration.

Climbing out of his fighter along with BB8, Poe scanned the crowd of rejoicing freedom fighters until he found Kaydel Connix.

The two rushed towards each other and before either of them could make a conscious judgment, kissed.

Meanwhile, the Angels knelt before the Force spirit in front of them and bowed in salutation.

Anakin smiled at them before turning back to the temple, where Rey and Finn were both watching the entrance as they sat down beside the broken Artoo.

The shaking structure had begun to sink as a large hole opened in the ground under it.

Fear entered Rey's heart, terrible fear, until at last, she saw her father's silhouette coming through the mist.

Staggering from the ground moving under him, Luke carried the body in his arms to the exit.

"Hey, hey!"

Along with Lando, Chewbacca and Threepio, Poe rushed towards his two friends and wrapped his arms around them in elation.

Rey and Finn hugged him back as Luke came out of the temple with the body of Ben Solo, hurrying as the temple sank into the earth of Millius Prime.

Rey and Finn eagerly pulled Luke and his cargo away as the temple sank into the ground, gone.

Luke gently set Kylo down on the ground in front of where the temple and statue had been.

Rey glanced down at her fallen cousin, unsure of how to feel. She looked into his eyes for a moment, seeing the look of emptiness.

Then she turned to her father who was looking cautiously at her.

Before she could consider it, Rey stepped towards Luke and embraced him. Luke smiled warmly as he returned the gesture.

Soon they were joined by Lando, Chewie, Threepio and BB8.

As Luke exchanged enthusiastic greetings with Lando and Chewbacca, Threepio bent down beside the remains of his best friends.

"Oh, poor Artoo," he fretted, "A brave hero to the last, I'm sure of it. My little round friend's knack for heroics has finally been the end of him."

"Artoo'll be okay," Luke said fondly to the protocol droid his father had built seven decades earlier, "He always is."

Rey, Finn, and Poe joined their friends as they walked over to rejoice with the rest of the Resistance and the Angels, who leading them down the slope towards the village.

Luke, meanwhile, gazed over to a distance away, where his father was standing. As they walked, Chewbacca and Lando carried the pieces of Artoo Deetoo, determined to restore the astromech to his former glory.

Joining Anakin at the cliff overlooking the Angel village, Luke said, "I'm not sure any of us would have lasted without Artoo."

Anakin chuckled. "You said it, son. Listen, Rey's going to be a great Jedi. Just like her dad."

Luke hesitated, looking down at the ground.

"I'm not sure I was always such a great Jedi," he said, "She may forgive me, but I'm still haunted by the day I left her on Jakku. Hearing her cries and knowing she wouls grow up alone."

"You may have committed acts that you regret, Luke," Anakin said, "But mine were far worse. And in the end, even though I undoubtedly deserved death, you refused to let me die without freeing me first.

"Before you saved me, I thought that the power to overcome death was the greatest possible gift. It was only after I returned from the darkness that I saw otherwise.

"Even after death, the Masters still have knowledge to pass on to the next generation. And as long as that knowledge and the belief in the light in the galaxy are passed down, there is no greater power."

Luke nodded, feeling better at his father's wisdom.

But something was still gnawing at him. Slowly, he glanced towards the body clad in black in the distance.

Reading his son's mind, Anakin said, "I wanted to help Ben too, Luke. In the end, his hatred was too strong. His attachment to power. It was your attachment to Rey that helped bring down the Sith, and her attachment to you and the people she loves."

His voice growing emotional, Anakin added, "And before that, your attachment to me. Attachment to power caused the rise of the Empire, but love saved the galaxy. The power greater than anything taught by a Master."

Luke gazed over the side of the cliff, and back towards the village where the Angels were playing tunes of celebratory music.

"Thank you Father," Luke said.

"No, thank you son," Anakin replied with a warm smile, "And now it is my time to go on."

"What do you mean?" Luke asked.

"My time in the material world has come to an end," Anakin said, "I must now rejoin with others who have left into the world beyond. I have served my purpose to the galaxy, and now, it is up to you to carry on the Jedi legacy. You and Rey."

"But..." Even now, Luke couldn't bring himself to say goodbye. Reunited and lost so soon, twice.

"You cannot stop change, Luke, any more than you can stop the suns from setting. But remember this, whenever the sun sets, it will rise again."

Luke stared at his young-looking father and knew that he was right. Whatever pain Luke was feeling, he would have to brave it with the maturity he had gained through experience.

"I'll do it," he said, "The Jedi, the light side, I'll protect them. They're here to stay."

"I know, Luke," Anakin replied, "We'll be with you, across the stars. Both of us."

Luke sensed Rey's presence approaching. He turned to find her coming up the hill, taking in the sight of both her forefathers at the top of the cliffside.

Luke took a step towards Rey, who climbed up to join him.

Anakin's gaze turned to his granddaughter as she approached.

Silently, Rey bowed to Anakin, who returned the gesture.

"Don't look back," he said to both of them, "Go on, and don't look back."

Accepting this, Luke took Rey's hand as he had years ago when they'd walked through the forest near the Jedi Academy, and guided her back towards the village.

Proudly, Anakin watched them go. Behind his ghostly apparition, the twin suns on Iego appeared along the horizon of the moon Millius Prime.

Neither Luke nor Rey looked back as they disappeared along the pathway.

Watching them, Anakin's visage changed until he appeared as a much older man, with thin gray hair and an aging, wizened face.

Finally, he disappeared as the suns took to the skies, gone into the world beyond.

A group of Angels watched Anakin disappear, saluting him by aiming their bows to the sky and firing.

Sometime later, the Resistance armada regrouped on the hill where the temple had once stood.

Rey, Finn, Chewie, Lando and Threepio departed on the _Falcon _while Luke carried his nephew's body onto a separate transport carrier.

On Coruscant, Lando Calrissian was sworn in as Chancellor, greeted by applause as he was flanked by his bodyguard Chewbacca and his advisor and commanding general Poe Dameron.

The inaugural parade took them through the streets of cheering crowds, past the statues of a Jedi Knight and his wife, a Queen and Senator from Naboo.

On Tatooine, Rey and Luke finished burying their body outside the Lars homestead, long abandoned and forgotten.

They then took Luke's landspeeder across the Dunes and Jundland Wastes, until they reached an old, abandoned dwelling where Finn was waiting, along with Threepio and the rebuilt Artoo Deetoo.

They walked along down the desert slope until they reached a medium-sized structure, where Leia was giving a lesson in lightsaber combat to a group of young students whom she had gathered.

Leia turned to smile as her family and comrades arrived. The young students raised their lightsabers in salute as Luke, Rey and Finn did the same.

A voice spoke from beyond, the voice of a Jedi Master who had died long ago and had discovered the young Anakin.

_"And so, when it seemed as though the Chosen One's sacrifice would fail, Anakin Skywalker returned once more to maintain balance in the Force. The Skywalker bloodline was tainted with evil, but Anakin brought hope when all appeared lost once again._

_"By providing aid and guidance to his heirs, the Chosen One once more brought balance to the Force, allowing the light side to emerge victorius over the dark."_

Over the head of the Jedi training structure, the wise, serene voice of Obi-Wan Kenobi spoke once again:

"The Force will be with you, always."

Starring:

Mark Hamill

Daisy Ridley

Matt Smith

Adam Driver

John Boyega

Oscar Isaac

Ewan McGregor

Andy Serkis

Domnhall Gleeson

Lupita Nyoung'o

Costarring:

Billy Dee Williams

Joontas Suotamo

Anthony Daniels

Billie Lourd

Keri Russell

Denis Lawson

Dominic Monaghan as Tengil

Frank Oz as Yoda

With Ian McDiarmid

and Hayden Christensen


End file.
